709 10 9760 https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/3c9803e2e69886f9ede015f1db98eba5.pdf 38dfc7be65e10b0ed73d6dfb0301e186 PDF Text Text Adventure* in a Biplane STARDUSTIR Norm Wki* �Adventure! in a BipAane Nona Wais For Bill Biadasali and for all othara who cherish the privilege of flight* With apaeial thanka to Mika Harbiaon Scott Jonaa Dick Raitx Joe Stewart �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis CHAPTER 1 FIRST FLIGHT A third quarter moon cast faint light on the little biplane perched incongruously on yThe moonlight bounced crescents from each rib-rise along the scalloped upper wing, and gave outline t?*propeller, tiosl and^ake o^fuselage. ^2 steps could span its wings and an arm stretch enfold its tail.~2^seeme^Sj^lke a large model airplane, perhaps capable of flight, but surely unable to carry a man ) jtloft«^<he image was deceptive»«fw‘’^is was a machine"'??***^ freedom, a machine that could ^SMU)«»XA4UwauBa&JMi4><arry 15^ - beyond the clouds, that would feel no tether of time jia^fetter of schedule^ and wiUi -bur a single oeggpmiL, iievea swifee the indignitv of iadeelsten* Three years of my life were'vested in 4ae-£ahsifi»' .^The invMstmewt"" ea* ggF* f Film RimTie^ ■fiw—aahj? its frame of wood and metal rode a thousand dreams^ fiiwwaBO-ef plaees ab ^M»d"RpoHrtfc,5l^On this day, the two of us would taste that freedom and find Smuk dreams. It would be the first excursion into the third dimension for the little plane. I had been before, perhaps a thousand hours. but never in such frisky company. This craft was far smaller 3 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 Norm Weis than anything I had flowland carried more horsepower per pound o£ total weight than any plane in my experience* Its^ sensitivi­ ties would tax my pilotage, perhaps exceed it lie weregr)!^^ recently renewed axKi readied for the effort. tricky Luscomb£an^ tuistered its obstinate rudder — ^^i!a&s/repeated takeoffs and landings with the controls trimme^^o full nose up and full nose down to prepare nyself fnr sny esadisien. I was > / ready, and'the 11rt1e»hiplasfc> was Tfsady* At IwasL 1 hoped the , dl** plane was^ready. My life would depend on its structural integrity and that integrity was of my own making. The east hmm Id iium* a teste of tlia wtrplane so much wa test ei aysetC. Dawn aaew a thin line along the eastern horizon as X fussed over the plane, feeling ef- its line and form, mentally checking each vital bolt, nu^and safetyg^ k sudden shaft of sunlight brought color to the red and t^ue trim. The white lettered ^^TABDUSTER'^’ra the nose ^Seed forth. The plane took on new charm and personality. She was a beauty I /x The deputy sheriff arrived on schedule, followed in short order by a few friends, all flying enthusiasts. The Star­ duster's tail wheel wgs quickly replaced with a trailer hitch, and the hitch attached to a pickup truck. In a thoroughly un­ dignified manner, the little biplane began its reluctant trip to the airport, tail high and backward. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 Norm Weis We threaded our way past darkened homes and along empty streets, then entered a little-used^ winding^field all lights flashing. Half a if wyr' dozen cars followed behind, sworn to stop any rear approach­ road. The deputy led, ing vehicle at the expense of own. gate leading to the main road was too narrow by a previously measured six inchecu ^e loose end-post removed and the Starduster unhitched and carefully eased through Some of the crew reinstalled the gate post. Others gently goewed* the Starduster's 800 pounds into position on the main road to recouple with the pickup. It was a straight route to the highway, and a short mile lather to the County Airport. The sun was up and warming the ground <s*the caravan came to a stop in front of the big pink hangar. Willing hands unhitched the plane and helped reinstall the tail wheel. The Starduster^assiimed a perky three-point stance, all signs of reluctance gone.^^c was eager for flight. A small crowd had gathere^ jadewe*ay"J"laiiL inspection^Mss merle ■ exuded conThis would be a bad time to overlook the obviouse Fuels ten gallons of 80/87. Drain cocks: Oil: dewatered and checked for sediment. to the mark, 7 quarts of 50 weight. �Adventures in a Biplane Controls! CowlI Chapter 1 Norm Weis free* solid and checked for nuts and safeties* all fasteners secured* Flying wiresI all eight tight and safetied at each end, and each one tuned to siiddle C. Chute: in place, all straps laid out for easy entrance. Auxilliary power unit! plugged in, ready for start up. ’ s^cZ Everything was ready. Z stepped to the wing walk, ma fra the seat* eased ny feet into position, Qn ran the control Stick cold up ny pant leg. Dsnnl X ghaakad nags, carb heat, throttle and nixture with gweet intsnsHy, gad discretely the stick. . ’'CLEARI” Several^answered, "Clear." The engine started on the third turn. With the power cord detached, Z taxied to the ramp, confident that all was checked and ready. The tower failed to answer my call. Either Z was not transmitting or was unable to received. taxied back and shut down. conference ensued. The lack of a clicking sound when the stick-mounted mike switch was de­ pressed indicated a break in the switch wire, and that wire was under the floorboards. Twenty minutes later Z located the break. had separated in the middle of a soldered connection. connections cannot stand vibration. The wire Such Z thought Z had corrected �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 Norm Weis all of my earlier mistakes, but this one had been overlooked. wondered if I had overlooked anything else. I A The thought was wpg- solderless coupling and squeezer were passed into the cockpit and the repair completed. The stick switch again sent a click to the earphones, and the tower responded quickly to a test call. The radio transmitted well and the reception seemed adequate. With the multitude of chute straps, shoulder straps. and seat belts again latched and tightened, I briefly checked the cockpit and instrument panel. "CLEAR!" Again the answer, "Clear. But^^he engine wouldn’t start. Floode throttle it still refused to start. After several shots of prime the engine still failed to fir^ weak. With half J^e battery was getting Faintly, through the padded helmet, I heard someone shout. "Turn your mags on. With that small oversight rectified, the engine roared to life. This was getting to be embarrassing. "Casper ground, this is Starduster One November .-/hiskey at hangar fwe. May I make some taxi tests on the ramp?" "Starduster One November VJhiskey. tive." That's affirma­ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 Norm Weis At slow speeds she handled beautifully. Not a sign of the rudder lag so common to larger taildraggers. No feel of being behind the motion, like an auto sliding in mud. Punch the left rudder, and you go left, quicker and further than expected. Right rudder the same. Thanks to the foresight of early airplane builders, every control movement was directionally appropriate. Push the stick forward and you literally push the nose down. Pull it back and the nose rises. you go forward. Push the throttle forward, All the motions come naturally, provided one ha^ no earlier bias. As a youngster I had tried to learn air­ craft control movements sitting on a sled with a hammer ui|^nded as a stick. It was difficult because I knew how to run a sled, and its control was o|nposite to that of an aircraft. Once X overcom^, I could practice every maneuver in ray twenty-five cent book, How to Fly. The rudder was comfortable now. was delightful. Its sensitivity X caught myself grinning foolishly. I swung the plane around for a 360 or two, then faced the control tower, still grinning. "Casper ground. I'd like to make a few runs down the ramp at medium speed, say^^miles an hour." "That's affirmative," Rudder control at the faster speed was positive, and a bit quicker, requiring new accommodation. The nose moved �Norm Weis Adventuees in a Biplane Chapter 1 back and forth in quick jerks, exactly imitating my over­ controlling foot movements. of it. the second run I had the hang I was able to taxi straight and true with the tail wheel clear of the ground. I requested permission to make a few highQspeed runs down the ramp and received another affirma­ tive. communications with ground control were broadcast from loudspeakers along the flight line. procedure. It was a standard There is no privacy on aviation frequencies. Pilots warming their engines or flying in the area could hear both sides of the conversation on their aircraft radios. onlookers gathered about the loud*^peakers. Knots of A plane about to taxi by pulled off to watch. With full throttle, the plane accelerated rapidly. I held mild forward pressure on the stick to bring the tail up. It rose slowly, stabilized, then rose drastically before I could back off. The propeller came within an inch of chewing the blacktop. On the second try the tail over-rose again, but I managed to catch it sooner. I assumetj^ the elevator control was simfjly more sensitive than expected, and that I would learn its 4#^ proper handling with practice, as I r..the rudder. That was a dangerous assumption. On the next run I let the speed build tc/j^ mph. As I caught the tail over-rise with back pressure,the plane �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane It felt good/i*^! coul^n^c became suddenly light on its wheels. As the plane slowed, I keyed the mike, "Boy, she help grinning. really wants to fly." Then I caught myself and added, "Gasper ground, would this be an auspicious moment to give her a try?" '*Starduster One November Whiskey. What kind of a moment did you have in mind?" 'I mean, are we free of airliner^ Are there any due in or out? 'Negative. Taxi to runway 3*7" wind T^,.?cknow] u- ' two miles down the taxi ramp to runway 34. -g' " as I zigaaggedQriy at 10 knots. -'r It was nearly I had time to . Other pilots ha'«/ tested other craft. Starduster Whiskey would not be greatly different. My test of I had studied the procedures at length and knew what to look for. t-bp-p -—-"-JI ; jmiuiJT?. '’TflBti T^ili!it3^ "" i'he name sonuOuG axoy , tt fit/ct, irerhaps I didn’t deserve to tease myself with the titl^ was no higtQjerformance jet. This There were no crash trucks at runway midpoint, no ejection seat, and my clothing was far from fireproof. Twey.*?- /f I were any kind of a test pilot,would have been smart enough to have seen to some of these precautions. t6 �Adv«ntur«s In a Biplane Chapter 1 Norm Mels The test There was one big item in vty fav<^ though. pilot pits his skill against the possible imperfections of a thousand factory workers and hal^4^^^(undred aeronautical engineers. But the homebuilder is his own riveter, his own welder, his own fabric man and his own engine mechanic. He need not be con­ cerned with the unknown quality of others* work. His worry is strictly his own. AntiislpaLiuU ielLTlL&iS i Ims rin, wrHwqr Isteri shews how the plane would feel in the air. I speew- Mould it need a great angle of attack to achieve a cl7»mb^as the eld Fleet biplane did? Or would it be^as a friend described his first solo flight in a Fitts, 'pK^ike strapping on a pissed-dff bumble­ bee.** X hoped for the latter. I reached the threshold of runway 34 and with brakes locked, ran the engine to ^500 rpm. Left and right magnetos dropped the revolutions per minute by 50 each* normal. At full throttle, rpm^T^reached ^200, and dropped 150 with carburetor heat* again normal. green. Oil temperature and pressure were in the Controls were free. Trim was set at micCtravel. X switched to iMsf, tower frequency. "Casper Tower. Starduster One November Whiskey Experimental ready to go on "Stairduster One November Whiskey. on half^klle final." Hold for aircraft �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 Norm Weis X watched the Cessna 150 slide in for a landing* its occupants glancing frequently at Starduster Whiskey* Everybody loves a biplane, especially one on its maiden flight, "Starduster One November Whiskey. Cleared for take off." NOW! Tail is up. pressure. On the center line, ease into full throttle. Watch out for over-rise. Watch the rudder. the air speed. Stay on the center line. A quick glance shows she's off and climbing. Ease off the forward Speed now^9p< Check Back pressure and More back pressure and the climb steepens to an unbelievable angle. She's a hot one •• maybe not in the bumblebee class, but lively, very lively. climb at^^mph, gaining ^500 feet per minute. We A quick motion of the stick right axid left, and instantly the wings rock/30^ degrees each way. Sensitive! We reach 600 feet, pattern altitude, time for adegree turn left, then^ *3-right to exit the area. Two small moves with stick and rudder, and the turns are accomplished. The plane has reached an altitude of twelve hundred feet above the ground in less than a minute. thing X had hoped for. X can't stop grinning. She's every­ Quick, sensitive, superb climber/*and capable of any maneuver X might dare to try. No longer will X look up with envy at other aircraft flown by other pilots. now on the sky is mine! From �Chapter 1 Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis —*> But IS wrong ith throttle reduced to cruise, the S'tarduster wants to dive The hancs^off flight I had hoped for is not to be., sharply. tven with full nosa-up trim, strong back pressur^is reoulred to hold a level attitude. At reduced throttle, more back stick is needed, leaving precious little for maneuvering. I twist about to lool riding high the in the up position re alarming. i—mph, she sits and mushes and porpoises, it ''"here is no stall nd there should be. — , " . - - -- * 3 non id have »- iwu problem xdien the tail over-rose during taxi tests. 1 continue x\7ith stall tests, nower on, power off, in various attitudes, recording the results on a pad taped to my right leg. The figures arc not encouraging. be a bit of a problem. barely safe. 1,ending will Various glida speeds show that 90 is It feels much more controllable at ICO. 1 decide to make a wheal landing, approach hot and touch down at a speed between 100 and 110 raph. 'C.' sper Tox'jer, Starduster One November ^biiskey, five miles west for landing. ’ ’’Starduster 'Jhisk----------- runway m------ The sound coming through the earphones is overx-^helmed by the engine and slipstream. I duck my head deep in the cockpit to minimize 5*^- �Adventures in a Biplane the noise. "Say again?” Norm Weis Chapter 1 After three tries I am still unable to read their transmission. "Casper Tower. I’ll enter left down wind for I can’t read you. I have a nose-heavy condition. Hope you can clear the traffic.” I turn the radio off and concentrate on the landing. If I can^get her down without damage, it will be a simple matter to adjust the center of gravity and cure the nose-down tendency. Appaoaching at 130, carrying ^400 rpm, I reduce power only slightly as the ground nears. Three feet above the ground at 120, it is still necessary to hold hard back pressure to main­ tain level flight. The ground races by much too fast, but there is no alo^wr choice. I lower carefully, feeling for the ground. Lower. A tight squeal, and the wheels make contact. Quickly I relax some of the back pressure in order to maintain contact. The little biplane rolls down the runway at well over 100 mph. With throttle retarded, the speed deteriorates and the tail slowly lowers to three-point. The landing had been far easier than expected. had been exciting throughout. It almost pleasant, with positive control In spite of the weight and balance problem. Starduster Whiskey was a gentle, forgiving creature. The thrill of the flight was with me as I taxied in. The wide grin was back and could not be suppressed. I re­ called the magic of my first flight in a light plane, and the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 sharp freedomyjfelt on the* first solo. Norm Weis Something happens to feke- soul when you fly alone for the first timegp jSut to fly in a craft of your own making is an experience that t«i.M»..nuwac another order of magnitude. Twenty years of living without and three years of building and dreaming, had culminated in this euphoric moment. Bellerophon, having mastered Pegasus, could have felt no more. I taxied back along the ramp, aglow with pride, returning stares with a grin and a,wave, knowing well that every pilot on the line would i'iX his right am to fly this little sweetheart. �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis CHAPTER 2 TILTING AT A NEW WINDMILL When eae""is young, there is rtTC ahead, for life in that direction is endless. reason to look There is time enough for everything, and planning is unnecessa^. passions, joy and sadness arrive and depart liftCi ffetie eh^rx 1,4^ p* **1 Trail!.Llum Middle age brings a Uime of'cuurolidetion^a time be hold* ^n to the feiling: of youth and pointedly igniy the aging process. One Iseler luiead far enough to increase life insurance. ^catJuba every intention of living forever. ignored. At the age of fift]^ the future can no longer be Its finite nature is obvious. «K!K?numerlcaUy on the downhill side of life. flPlie alrsBiiue uf pews owe more than-* 100 yeats uld offBfS conviiiuiug piuoia But there is one ad- vantage! now life can be Judged with more certainty^ lint t, -.tfl in vlwed When I^ took a hard look ahead, I could see a dozen more years of teaching, a dozen summers* backpacking, fishing/^ and working on one project or another. change the emphasis. Retirement would simply The future looked pleasant and secure but devoid of any new adventure. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis My early years had been full of surprise and discovery. ^^ose years seemed more exciting than^my plans for the future. Somewhere 1 had given up old delights and taken -wp-more conservative pursuits. Like many of those around me, I had be- come a spectator rather than a participant. b . -It waB~~tima ta-graip life and bend it to toy purposetP t<^4fei«vigetetef tb~i^8^=nwcL, discovery. It was time to til^a new I inventoried tlw past, looking for the good thinge- pursuits worthy of repetitioi^ endeavors that circumstance had brought to an early en^ dreams that were never realised. As a youngster, I^^ipent almost every Saturday with ny beet buddy, messing around at the Omaha Municipal Airport. My mother deplored such excursions, explaining that a-i^^ old had no business being two miles away from home. that I countered pal's mom said he could gOg-ssid Ui used the sane excuse. Being the middle child of the family of five youngsters proved quite an advantage. Mother had trouble keeping track of the boys, spending most of her time monitoring the two younger sisters. My father, a young Methodist minister, was far too occupied with churchaaffairs to worry about his number three son. Only the most flagrant violation brought his guiding hand into play, but on those rare occasions, the guiding hand usually held a thick leather razorstrap*2 Xt was a good thing covered, or exploits were largely undis­ problems would have been compouxided, and my 11 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Horn Weis backside/would have been sore with a far greater frequency. When the first airlitier with a flush toilet arrived in Oaaha, ny buddy and Z were the first to flush it — right on the ran^-- after wsUuBi,gi3rsn. were thrown off the airport^ stealing coupons ths pwspew uee> st eeurse. 1M.ce the local grocer caught om the tops of Thoopson's Malted Milk cans. Bach coupon could be sent in for a large picture of an airplane. A dozen of them lined the walls of ny attic room. My buddy had fourteen. But mostly we did harmless things. On our visits to the airport we spent hours standing around airplanes looking wistful, hoping to be invited for a ride. It never worked. At best we were permitted to sweep floors and empty buckets of used oil behing the hangars* The two of us were consumed with a love of airplanes. We read everything available concerning flying macMiMSjP WHasew» yrsiry smtieapiMlnrijg ulsplemi byslmpe mitxmieww^The sound of an approaching plane would send us tearing outside for a look. could identify them all. a Stinson. J, Ab^mone:^ We If there was any doubt, we would call it None of our peers dared challenge otur vast kno^edge* When the big Air Show came to Omaha,/! Repression made it difficult, My five>cent^a-w«ek allowaxice^plus pin money from carrying grocerie^ did not add up to the price of a ticket. /A �Adventures in a Bipiane Chapter 2 Norm Weis Ify Buddy and I, along with several dozen other kids in like circumstance’, sneaked into the show by crawling under the woven wire fenae. Ws were ejects^ but Just as repeatedly sneaked Ws ^irnss bstirssn hangnrtn back in^ this Blissed a lot of the show running between access points, but the parts we saw were fantastic. A fellow Jumped out of a plane, way up high, wearing a black coverall with black webs between h^ legs and under his arms. He "flew" as he fell, doing flips and turns, then opened his parachute at the lest fBooMint. A big brown balloon full of hot smokey air drifted upward and a man fell out —• but h^to^had a parachute. The bag turned upside down and shot out a big cloud of black smoke. Then a shir^ two-winger took to the air and began doing things X had never seen before. I had never even read about. He even did some things His name,***^SpSBD UOlMAI^^as printed on the side of his airplane, and he could fly upside down Just as gsS^as right side up. He could loop, roll ^p^^er and fly ^<?*7id«ways, one right after the other. enthralled. When SJ^eSS Lindber2*as my personal hero. I watched, totally landed, he had cookietely replaced . Flying the Atlantic waS all right, but wliaL Utt fiptad did was something else. seme stunts. X ached wfcshMHtr dssliw to do the world would be complete if X could ever learn to �Adventures An a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weia fly like Speed Holman — maybe even get to where ny stunts were good enough to keep a whole crowd of people on the ground spelX^^ bowad^nritW their mnnths hengiwig upeir. were kicked out again when Speed flew his aeeond bunch of stunts. I didn't learn until later that he dove Into the ground upside down and was killed. too close to the ground. They said he just He was still my hero,. ay mind he Jias just as I saw him last — looping, rolling and flying sideways. Model building becamey^ar great passion^invoIwiag scale models of boats and trains and airplanes — ^iiostly air­ planes. 1 sweat dsHgha in following the flight of the simplest glider, especially when aaae with gentle kissing touch. lihi flirsiir^ Rubber-powered craft, weeks in the buildingt, often carried tb^ hopes to new extremely) as they briefly flew, then crashed. Ify first gas-powered model plane had a Mln^.pread ot nearly j^^e feet. It weighed so much mere than ay previous models that I doubted its ability to fly. It hung from the ceiling for weeks while I admired its uf0n#eeplng wing, its glossy red finish, piano wire landing gear and miniature balloon tires. One calm day, curiosity at a peak, Z launched it by hand into tall grass. It tracked straight and true without a trace of stall or turn. The time had come to risk powered flight. ^(^^wished that I were small enough to ride along. X knew the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 control movements by heart* Norm Weia If the plane dove, I could pull back on the stick and save It from a crash, or if it banked too steep^, I could give it help with a push to the side on the stick along with a quick jab on the rudder — If only I could ride along* I put two^yedroppersjfulp of gas in the tank and Started the little engine. Faced into the light breese, the wheels vibratt^f against plane traabled and surged in my hand^ the ground* 1 released it gently. The tail rose, and after a short run the plane lifted, tracing a gentle curve to the left. climbed and becamg small with height. neath, praying^it would run out of gas* It I ran, trying to stay uadeiS^ The buss of the engine stopped suddenly, and the plane began to glide, banking gently to the right. I stood, turning in slow circles, watching it feel its way through small bumps of rough air* It passed over the road, turned, and headed for a pile of rocks, caught an updraft, then turned full circle, closed with the ground, •Sham bounced and rolled free on^the road. Diere SaX^ssm many other modelsi seaplanes, float planes, biplanes, canards, boom tail8/“*and conventional aircraft* SocM failed to fly after repeated adjustments} others flew well, too well at times. One model landed in the open bed of a pickup traveling down the highway and was never seen again. Another caught in a thermal and flew unpowered for more than an hour before going out of sight* Later, iKssMT returned a mangled engine and landing gear, all tha^ survived the trip through his compickar* �Adventure® In a Biplane pureuitst Norm Weis Chapter 2 JTar B fen yffwv® my life«MM filled with other cano^J^f kayak|Hyand sailboat4^ But even while running with full spinnacker before a brisk wind, the sound of an engine overhead wouldynpull ay attention/*^**** In my twenties I embraced flying again, but this time with the real thing. added new dlmensioxu LsasaXag «te> fly full-sized aircraft The view from Inside an aircraft was totally different from the modeler's view of flight from the ground. InzTiHKf side an airplane thm motion seemed to disappear) ewiy-tha horizon moved, tilting right and left amd rising and falling.'^ At low notlceable>^^mid the track of the plane level through the air hensme more apparent. Mild aerobatics put the hemisplwres of the sky and **S^^»*^^*^ earth in wild alternation. In time X we® able Be *'ae>^* the airC plane fly as if X were observing frcsn a distance, and^equattgAt with the view fr(»n inside. joy. Flying small aircraft became a great The aerobatics, mild as they were, proved to be as exciting as X had dreamed. Loops and spins were exhilarating. X wanted badly to learn more demanding maneuvers, bpt the little Aeronca tandem was not stressed for more. The dream oJ^ aerobatics ’'like old Speed Holman" was still unrealized. In fact It seemed as impossible as it had a dozen years befor^z** C— Flying^wM expensive, and the amount of time X could buy on ^y highschool teacher's pay was limited. A Later, tdien X �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis received pay for flying, the expense problem disappeared, but so did much of the fun. Flying became a job, especially when It was confined to simple point-to-point transportation. After teen years ofi fiyAwg, I shelved my loj^ook and took up more pressing matters, occasionally wondering what had happened to the old thrill of flight. Now, twenty-some years later X realized that flying was too rare a privilege to be abandoned. The thrill must be re-experienced, but this time the flying would be strictly for fun — 8eat-of“ the-panta f lylng^wlth a minimum of Instruments and a maximum of maneuverability. I wanted a craft that would give ma the freedom to hop from patch to patch, take m^places I wished to see, even roll Inverted and turn th^j?^rld up^de down. The thought of such freedom brought the. lihstil ef flikht soaring bac'^ ^Mid again. drernn of derobatics came alive . new desire was hardly compatible with my financial condition. A plane to fill my wants would cost $20,000, and I could barely muster a tenth of that figure. I searched the flying magazines,^advertls^g publicationaz fil'd aircraft sales lists for a solution. the thousands of planes offered for sale, none fitted both my need and ability to pay. While reading the ads, I noticed a number of homebuilt aircraft for sale. I wasn't Interested In purchasing one, but the idea of building my own plane surfaced as a possible solution. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis Several years earlier X had visited a man mHo was building an airplane in his garage. He had been for three years and ejtpected to finish in three more. I had dis­ missed any thought of undertaking such a long term project, but now my thinking was different, and Bill Bourret’s-pefieot"de­ served a closer look. Bill was a big happy sort, tickled to show the Intricacies of his plane and describe the problems encountered in its construction. His three place Stita Playmate was sitting on its tricycle landing gear awaiting construeti ^^^^e folding wings, .^^/workmanship was outstanding^^*! uMnSewei&f X could equal dae quality in a ar** tH W urnmy^rtt similar project time. ^%ill claimed that some home builders had finished projects in two or three years.* ife dug out a dozen copies of Sport Aviation that carried stories proving the point. He loaded me up with reading material and ruined tny sleep for a week. Plans for more than emX.tnmd«ed aircraft were avail­ able to the home builder, but one aircraft stood out. Its elllp- tlcal wings and gently curved fuselagc^leassd the eye and crowded imagination, ' It was called the Stolp Adams Starduster, all nine­ teen feet of it. It was small for maneuverability, single place so I would never be tempted to fly passengers for hire, fully aerobatic forfnifill ny long held dream/*^d an open cockpit �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 biplane just for the hell of it. for a dream-chasing machine. Nocm Weis "Starduster'* -« what a name The decision was made; I had found my new windmill lU- The passions of building and flying would both be It would be a lon^ painful endeavor* but what satisfied. challenge was ever easy? Ify wife. Jay, understood my desire to fulfill an old dream|^an^ in the doin^ spice up a life that had lost some of its excitement. ^hr She heartily endorsed the plan. had a weakness for flying machines ever since I courted her by airplane. Time would be no real problem. My job at the local college would let me spend all my vacations, including the three — month summer lajj^fon the construction. However, salary aghfet no great help to^S^new ^jO£«^^Jay and I figured our finances could handle the car for a few years. than $3,000, , if we put off^a new I expected the plane ae cost a bit more We could scrape up about $^500 and could scrounge perhaps $500 a year for the t^^e or so years of construction. z/ wouldn't be doing much traveling, hunting or fishing,«aMd vasyaisy formerly spent on those Wfert's would^o toward the plane. It was an appropriate moment for Jay to undertake a little hors^ trading, I could build my plane if she could have a three-speed bicycle, and when the plane was done, my next project would have to be the construction of her ofter^promised and evei^postponad greenhouse. �^ntux*** in a Biplane Kona Welt Chapter 2 The next morning X ordered a set of plans for $25*00 and set out, checkbook in hand, in search of a suitable engine. There were five hangars spaced along the halfi«mile flight line at the Natrona County International Airport, and in one of them X found exactly what X wanted; a 125 h.p. Lycoming Stacked next to the engine was a pile of partsf land­ 0«290-D. ing gear,*Xent fuselage,^mangled propeller/amd a set of uncovers- ed wings. The owners had hoped to rebuild the airccaft, but the cost of labor added up to more than the restored aircraft was worth. X offered $800.00 for the works. The owners countered with $900.00, and we settled for the mid-point. It took a week to sort the wreck into two stacks. The one containing the engine, wheels and instruments repre­ sented those items that would become a part of the new plane. The other stack was salvage and Junk. The Junk went to the Juzd^ZVard in exchange for a five*dollar bill that was quickly converted to a sheet of 4 x 8 partical board which would become the work bench for Jiggly the steel tubing fuselage. An air parts trade^namsd *^Duff^tn Denve^. took the wings and some land­ gear parts in trade for a carburetor heat box, heel brakes, air filter, an old rusted throttle quadrant and nearly a hundred dollars in cash. Thlf money <ras in turn converted into an assortment of steel tubing. �atur«» in a Biplane Chapter 2 None Weil When the plane arrived Z set to the chore of adding up the quantities of sheet-steel* straight grained spruce and aviation-grade plywood tha^would W needjAk 9 three aimail orders to different supply houses that specialised in aircraft materials* t]£-began a program of study on the twenty or so sheets of plaziF. Some of the drawings were baffling* and required hours of study. number of dimensional discrepancies^M^peavedr Most corrections to be made in the plans were obvious* but others required new sketches* perspectives and three-view drawings to determine the solution. The landing-gear detail ^fcJ**^* was particularly confusing^ I mocked up a rough mode^ and X found that if the parts made according to plan^there would be too little propeller clearance. Zf redesigned the gear to provide the clearance Z wanted, gmeb the way Z had designed model aircraft. With the fuselage pattern laid out full sise on the two-foot by sixteen-foot work bench* steel tubing could be cut to leng^* fitted in place and tack-welded. h Next, the fuselage sidesuieimubemt to Join at the ^il» while jBSOgJMkiqp parallel in the forward section^ wmL a multitude of cross mndjerseiowe fitted and tack-welded in place. The first of a number of problems became painfully Im I obvious am Z exssdned mymneroiwe attempts to weld steel tubing. The welds were patchy and lacked penetration* the result of /li. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Moxa Weis too little heat^ <Sut whenever Z got the metal hot enougtva would 13urcv|through the tubing wal^accooipanlw^*^^ howl a« the flame entered the tube. sound. y I learned to hate that Luckily my mistakes were made on small pieces of spare tublxi^^ I mauiLd not dare tackle the final welds on the fuselage until the art of welding^jsae-eMeaeeedK advice of ea^rt^w^ sough^ of^red and accepted, but still Much help was wdlds were shamefully Ixsspy. blamed the torch, then the regulators/^ finally the goggles* ,2.^ ft«. •*«<toggles worn over bifocal glasses were an unsatisfactory comblnatlot^^ They^habltually steamdd over at each critical moment. Xn desperation I took the welding goggles to the local optometrist and asked that correcting lenses be ground so that X might see without glasses* X became an Instant expert* The puddle of molten metal, clearly visible for the first time, seemed to crawl along under perfect control, growing with the addition of welding rod, melting ahead, solidifying behind, just the book said it should* For practice, I welded up every broken Item X could find: a metal ehalr, the boat trailer, the truck bumper, the Ironing board, then finally the fuselage of airplane* 1 J.' �Adventures in a Biplane NoraurtJela Chapter 2 I had developed a bad habit* After completing a weld, 1 would unconsciously point the torch away while. I studied the weld. The smell of something burning wen* the first indication that 1 had set a fire behind me. The curtains, the broom handle/^d comers of two sheets of plans all went Up in flames, '^new piece of equipment war~inetarled a fire extlngulrt&erl It took ten weeks to build the fuselage, and another month to bend and weld the tail surfaces, A few weeks later, the specially lengthene<bgear was finished and bolted In place* JThe elastic loops called Shock-cords >MLe WlfesLied Into position. Each gear coul<^pivot outward, the cord stretching, acting as a shock absorber* Upside down, the fuselage and/|gdar looked like a spavined dinosaur* side up. It looked beautiful* there. Kight Ths pwimlss nf flighb waf I climbed Into the space that woulc^ become the cock­ pit and let sqt Imagination take over. If a scarf had been handy Z could have whipped it about ay neck. On the third "Vroom, Vroom,” my wife opened the garage door to check the new sound. She caught me jessing the Imaginary throttle of an equaUy Imaginary engine on a wingless plane* 1 blushed; she grinned. ^st people are unable to comprehend why anyone would want to build bls own alrplan*. under.banding» they 2^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Wais are quick to condemn the effort as foolish. anire nags remargks-like nnmn ysu< won’t catch rae riding in it,” OT ”I believe in keeping one foot on the ground." One un­ believer went so far as to ask if he could take an insurance policy on ray life. CAoae friends were inclined to be under- standing, andy^follow pilots were at once encouraging anc^en- vious. * colleagues at the small collage where I teach quickly split into two groups! those xdio figured I could build and fiy the plana, and those who knew I would never fly it because they . sure as hell wouldn’t. As the airplane progressed^ new material need^ total cost of the aircraft wMuae.-uiseewwTC^ and the foeer above tne^$3,000 off orders for seat belts, t shoulder harness, windshield, fiberglass turtleback, cowl, hun­ dreds of bolts, machine screwsy^^d tubing for the engine molint. The engine mount is considered a most critical item in a small aircraft. This network of steel tubing connect/ t<^ air franw! is subject to extreme vibration and ^sub­ sequent cracking due to metal fatigue. highest quality eewld be allowed, Only welds of the 4</1 Mjr welding had Jtee &fi« by the time the fuselage and gear were finished. Thfi pi"wk was serRMii'hni short of perfection, but to delay construction of the engine mount would bring no improve- mant. an elaborate jig attached to the 30 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis front of the fuselage, I carefully fitted the chrome moly­ bdenum tubing in place, cleaning the tubing inside and out to prevent weld contamination. The Jig was built intentionally "crooked" to allow the engine to point and down a degree and a half. the righty/t^ degree^ The right thrust was to help counteract the effect of torque — the tendency of a plane to turn to the left 4ue fee the propeller turoMg' to the right; lAfcle the down thrust was to help minimise fchX nose-up tendency when the throttle W opened wide. I buT'WWSfg When all members of ths engine piount had been tackwelded in place, --- iifrt yjo 1/141/1 v-p u:. .Ai.« ®ich cluster ws thewetighly heated / of dry lime.* ^feiB l tm And inmediately immersed^ in a box acted as an insulator, permitting It slow cooling of the * weld! * preventtfat embrittlement. .ZT' *** I ruined the entire mount^etrtehe final weld. The nearly completed mount was in the vise, and I was welding on a last "finger plati^' or reinforcing layer of sheet meta^ tubing bent sharply as the weight of the mount took ad­ vantage of heat-softened metal. ten bucks worth of tubing wasted. 1 was sick — four days and I could repair the mount, but to install a repaired part on a brand new aircraft was ^sc^ppe^t?ie^ount * intolerable?^^ and ordered more tubing. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Nona Weis The most frustrating thing about building an air­ plane is the^duplication and repetition. Hardly anything comes Eithex;i a ar ah in the plans, or part doesn't fit out right on the first try. » am an improvement could be ^^Ktfe<-by doing 4t over, right, th.n «6ccy over Its fl-r TjI? **** y is rabiiitiK ^Xne prospect of test flying an aircraft with known flaws becomes less acceptable as the time for testing approaches. Fear keeps the airplane builder honest. Sumner vacation had arrived and the tubing for the second engine mount had not. Rather than sit and wait. I loaded the engine into the pickup and headed for Park Rapids, Minnesota, and the welcome assistance of an old friend. Bill Riedesel was a friend by choice, ay|boss by necessity/^nd a cousin by chance. From 1941 to 1955, Billy hired me during the summers as a mechanic's helper and part-time pilot. We worked well together, thinking ahead to each other's needs, generally offering or accepting needed tools or parts without question or request. Occasionally the mechanical work was interupted by the opportunity to fly cross country. On noi^assenger flights, I was permitted to build time for my commercial license. It was a good life, full of excitement and new experience. 3Z �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis When Bill learned that 1 planned to build my own plane, he promptly offered to supervise the work on the engine, whether it be a partial or major overhaul, The extent of re­ quired work could only be determined as the engine was dis- assemble J. As it turned out, the engine was full of surprises I The little Lycoming had figured in at least three serious accidents. The crankshaft had been replaced and the entire engine, overhauled several times. however, wt the main housing The reel surprise, behind the^ccessory case at the rear of A part-of the cas4**^d been broken ou^ ^^^me small engine par^had obviously come loosei, and been bhrewn lihrirngh of the four bolts holding the gear wheel to the back of the camshaft were <euMUea-*a missing X(m safety washers had-never 1t>Mn bent along side the bolts to prevent their loosening. Us found part of one bolt in the oil screen. The other am/ eitheJ^ completely chewed up or thrown out through the hole in the accessory case. moving K£.t^T 4-ha-angiaa-Jima completely disassembled, aHT'‘tsiniiJ| Inipanlmi and shippe^^ff to Minneapolis for magnafluxing, a sur^^ira test for small cracks invisible to the naked eye. yn»ere was time^to kill while waiting for replacement parts. I flew and fished and swapped stories with Bill Riedesel. -31- �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 2 They call it hangar flying whenever two or more pilots talk 2^pl ewes end She libs. Such conversations are usually marked by noisy sound effects and much am waving Xmth and accuracy are seldom encountered. "Remember the time the student pilot ran into bad weather?" "Yup he was taught to make a one-eighty, but the weather was so bad he made two of them Just to be surel" "And his buddy, no less smart, claimed there was no point in turning back 'cause the clouds ware goin* to beat hell the other way.*" "How about the time 1 saved the cub that was headed for the Junk pile?'' It was an unwritten law that if one of us "greased in" an airplane especially a crippled airplane, to a perfect landing, the other would never admi^^liaving noticed. The Junk*pile incident began when a customer brought in a J-3 Cub with the complaint that the engine had developed a bad tendency to quit. The owner swore that he hadn't been using car gas, our first di^^sis. We checked tthe Cub over, and Bill gave it a test flight. The wind was brisk, and the Cub leaped off the ground quickly, hummed smoothly as Bill climbed to The engine or 3y- �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis Then there was a dudden silence. I watched Bill glide in to a flawless three-point dead stick landing. As we pushdd the plane back to the hangar to work on the engin^Bill asked if I had seen the landing. "Gos^ Bill, I missed it -- what happened — you didn’t bend anything, I hope.” /^■^iV^ime we were sure we had found the trouble^ The primer had been left in the unlocked position, a common cause for engine failure. With the problem corrected, I suggested^it was my turn to fly the plane. The wind had come up a bit and I looked forward to a quick take-off. "Bet I can get her off in a hundred feet.” studied the wind, looked at my skinny 12o’ Bill pound frame/and took me up on the bet -- the loser to buy pop and peanuts all around. We paced off T^qAui^?ed feet^3/ along the ramp facing into the wind, aAgued a bit over the distance and marked the spot with an old hunk of two by four. Bill swung the prop^.*—- the engine caught immediately. I checked the magnetos and other vital signs, taxied to the starting point and ran the engine to full throttle with the brakes locked. The tail rose and I let her go. rolled rapidly toward the two by four. The Cub Twenty feet short of the mark, I asked the plane to fly with a firm pull on the stick. She was ready, and with the help of a gust of �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 2 wind we cleared the board by a foot or two. I settled the Cub into a steep climb, nose pointing thirty degrees above the horizon. Just as I crossed the east-west runway, the engine quit! bfy God, it was quiet! speed dribbled to^^ e m.p.h. ai hfy f I popped the stick forward in self** defense, trying to regain flying speed. I tried to turn in line with the runway, but my meager hundred feet of altitude faded rapidly, forcing me to straighten and prepare to land. It was apparent that the little Cub was going to quit flying right in the middle of the airport bone pile, the junkyard of airplane parts. It would be handy anyway. .The wreckage would be well placed.^Mypickii^ up on an incidentic re-solo days. An instructor had once ruined a would-be perfect landing by shoving the stick hard forward just as the plane was about to touch. TheJ|gear had flexed and bounced the trainer<20>’teet in the air. the ground • A dozen feet short of the a foot off I jammed the stick forward. The wheels hit the ground, the landing gear spread and rebounded. bounced^ . The plane sailed up and over the junk pile and floated to a safe landing on an intersecting runway. *||^one showed up to offer congratulations, let alone help push the plane, I chocked the wheels with pieces of junk and cranked away �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis until the engine fired, then taxied to the hangar, fcarkeda Bill was Just hanging up the and walked Into the office. phone. "That was the owner of the Cub. Says he loaned It to a friend and the friend put some car gas In It. In fact o* explains a lot doesn't It? Ethyl, Everything go all right?" (J-uuklll^ back twenty-five years to that in^dent. It was surpriXpg how differently each of us recalLra the details. 1 Insisted the two»by»four had been^/nundred feet Bill held out for IQtl yards. most embarasslng moment Then he had the time I remind me of my &ided his best airplane In a ripe wheat field. "That three»foot>m t has probably shrunk to tall grass, too, I suppose." I had no answer smiled and then twisted theNmlfe. three "Took you to clean that plane — looked like iKthreshlng machine — amazing how much that tall grass can mess up a plane." - - Within a week the required engine parts had arrived The power plant went together nicely, ^arts for the engine Increased the projected cost of the plane by anobherZd^^ I figured the completed aircraft would �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 cost about $3^00.00. That was higher than.planned, but.every spent repairing the engine was an investment in peace o£ mind. I drove the long miles home, confident that the little Lycoming would be a reliable trouble"free source of power. I hadn't been home more than a few minutes when received an emfSuel.phone call. The operator said it was collect call from Oklahoma^and gave the name of I caller didn' t know amwe«*-bHJtha^Beaa«rfMU^as about to refuse the call when the man mentioned the word '^tarduster.* I accepted "I'm with the Federal Aviation Administration, and I'm calling about the registration number you applied for three months ago — you didn't really want that big f^e^digit number, did you?” • I answered.to the effect that it was the number on the wreck I had bought. "Well, that doesn't mean you have to use that number on your little Starduster probably wouldn't have room for it on the fuselage anyway.” The situation was puzzling "» here was a )2»ovem- ment employee calling me collect to offer advice on my plane. "How would you like November One November Whiskey?” "Why would I want that number?” I countered, still confused. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 2 ”It*s your initials. Norm Weis You know, N.W. I just checked and number one for those initials is available. -- ------- cours^ if you want that old number "No, no! Of I’ll take the^NlNW^and thanks — sorry I'm so slow to catch on. Guess I'd^^et^r learn the new phonetic alphabet." amazed at 1 thanked him again for his help, the initiative the gentleman bad taken on my behalf. There is a certain brotherhood between those who love airplanes. It surfaces quickly when a little homebuilt biplane is involved. Enthusiasm renewed, 1 attacked the project with vigor, anxious to complete the plane. If the reaction of the man in Oklahoma was typical, then I was in for some real fun flying the little plane ab^^^^e country. More than a year had slipped by, and the plane was less than half done. The fuselage was structurally cooqplete A/J and the engin^ mounted. The control stick was in place and connected to the elevator^ ^ut a hundred other chores remained^^or^work on the wings could start, hfy slow progress was due mainly to my own finicky nature, but some of the blame fell on the continuous flow of visitors. Some of the visitors were welcome. Fellow pilots and homebuilders were often of help when an extra pair of �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis hands was needed, but the majority of the visitors were pestiferous. Some thought they were doing me a big favor by stopping by. Invariably they would ask if I were really going to fly it, and wasn't that dangerous. X always resisted the tow/tation to quote Thoreau's statement about people living lives of quiet desperation, never daring to take a change. I learned to dread the inevitable question, ’’Can you gen kbt out of the garage?" That query was invariably followed by the old story of the boat in the basement. One charming lady was very disappointed in the airplane's limited capacity. "Aren't you goixig to take anyone else along?" "Nope. Only has one seat." "But X wanted to fly to Denver with you." "Guess we can't do it," X answered. "OJe yes we can," she replied, her face suddenly bright with inspiration. "We'll Just make two trips!" Space became critical in the double garage when^ plywood sheets i>ems laid out on saw horses in order to assemble the upper wing. The garage hadn't held a car for a year and a half, and Jay now referred to it as the "shop." In cold weather, after her car failed to start, she pronounced I inflection. The upper wing wee-19 feet long — big for a "two* car shop," but alarmingly small for an airplane. Even bwith �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis thn rnriXiHBaCTBB that a second, albeit smallei^ set of wings would be added, ^the lifting surface seemed inadequate, ^ay rT|gn-|ii-in«e difficult to believ^che craft would fly. iSii'wr Both our minds were put at ease a few weeks later in Boulder, Colorado. We were visiting relatives for Christmas and had driven out to see what was happening at the local airport. As we parked, a young man appeared, pushing a tiny yellow biplane or^o the ramp. His name was Clark Everest, and yes, he was going to fly the plane. I paced the wing-span -- feet less than the wing of my Starduster. seveji^^n feet -- Jay and I watched Clark go through the ritual of checking the plane inside and out. In a few minutes he cQihbed in and. with the help of a line hand, started the engine and taxied out. jtfis plane, a Pitts S-lA, was smaller than mine in almost every respect; iA power. Clark’s plane had 180 horses, where^mine would have but 12f'^making my Starduster a much gentler creature^ X was careful to point out. Clark poured the cobs to the engine and came snort­ ing down the aninway. The little plane lifted just like a big craft, then climbed steeply, unlike any other craft, big or little. Jay was impressed and reassured- I was anxious to get home and get back to work on the wings — they would look big enough now. �.nir«i In a Biplane Chapter 2 Nexa Vela An old hand at airplane building once clalned that It took him a month to build the fuselage, a month to build the tall surfaces, another month to build the wlnge, then three more years to finish the airplane, I was beginning to find out what he meant. JUdLth the wing^ finished, the real work began* The upper wing had to be carefully aligned with the fuselagSL, using the flat garage celling.as a reference plane. With the wing -r tenuously supported by 1 x 2 scaffolding and brace wires,*the. struts^onneetilfi4^%selage be Ileted bask welde^^to pleeew^ <The Iswer-iHeos wsr^then temporarily bolted oiy amd»(jx>th wlngpnsAretuxiy measured?for proper align­ ment and perpendicularity with the center line of the fuselage. The garage became a maze of wooden braced plumb lines and level wires. Visitors were banned whll^the laborious process of building the Interplane mesibers, or 1-struts y. was uMeeSeksni Shaped like a slanted capital ’’I’’, the struts keep the wings separated and properly aligned. Flying wlre^rought complete rigidity to the4t<wAr alxfmssMrv Crisscrossed between the wings, they provided the strength of a bridge truss. 1 could rock the entire plane by moving one wing tip up and down without a sign of flex or play. The wires were hand made of stainless steel, round and threaded at the ends, but otherwise flattened to a streamlined shape. .f th. .l^t xlr.. h«l . h^akln, .tr»,th ««»»d to �Adventures in a Biplane thousands of pounds. Chapter 2 Nona Weis The care evident In their manufacture was also evident In their price — the el^t wires came to more than » three"hundred dsllaee» The vires, a new propeller^'^l^ an order sent off for a parachute^brought ray projected cost to $^00.00. An Insurance dividend and the spring tax refund arrived opportunely. The air frame was finally complete. nut, bolt and instrument was in place. Every wire, I called John Montebello of the local Federal Aviation Administration office and requested an inspection. Among other things, John was In charge of home- bullts and accident Investigation —• a combination I considered unfortunate. The Inspection revealed some shortcomings. The fuel line was too short and could break with vibration.'^ The" u-f- g mr*'”rfid H"* -md tho strhorqiicnt JMeo Ulfis tmb pleasant ■■ I readllji egeeed te wspXaes eha Some bolts J y were faced the wrong way/* ^e main bolt on the tall wheel was upside down. The rule was that all bolts should face down or to the rear. I explained that4^ wouldn't go In right side up. John picked up a wrench, removed thebbolt and slipped It In from the top with no trouble at all. Two weeks e«e I had spent half an hour trying unsuccessfully to do the same thing. John pointed out a few other bolts that could be reversed, ^s criticisms were valid, but damn it, everyone of them hurt I John signed off the airframe, passing out compli­ ments on the welding and wood work, but stipulating the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis changes in bolts and fuel line. Now the plane could be dis"> assembled, covered with fabric, doped/Imd decorated, then reassembled for the last time. Two and a half years had passed during construction of the air framea My colleagues at the college were tiring of asking about my progress. Those of a more acid nature con** tinued to barb me with"ain*t that plane done yet?" the'bin't" was intentional. Sale. I assumed One wag posted a notice! Airplane parts, whole bunch, cheap. "For See Norm Weis." With encouragement like that, failure, or even delajr was un­ thinkable. Covering an aircraft is a job dreaded by most builders, but for me it was frosting on the cake. During the years I had worked with Bill Riedesel, recovering aircraft had been my favorite job. Watching the skeletal framework take on solidity of form was satisfying. Lines that were already pleas­ ing became planes and curves that felt good to the hand and brought joy to the eye. The cover went on easily — first the^^^lage bottom, then the two sides. After the glue was thoroughly dried, I gingerly applied a warm iron to the slack fabric, moving over the entire surface repeatedly. The Dacron lost its wrinkles and tightened smoothly, drawing straight lines �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis between longitudinal members and curving sweetly to join turtleback to vertical tail fin. Covering the wings would be easier; I approached the job with anticipation. Loose fabric laid out on the top wing brought to mind part of Ovid’s tale of Icarus and Daedalus 7 *^'^rowe of fethers one by one, beginning with the And overmatching still eche quill with shorty one of longer sort.,,.Then fastened he with Flax the middle quilles, and joyned in the lowest sort with Ufuc /•* t ribs of the Starduster’s wing^were ^^^aried length •- some short, some of a longer sort. They/lay row on row^overmatched by a layer of fabric,^sewn through with cord well rubbed with wax. The airplane builder would call the waxed cord Jjiit npe.ujJU'ij. Once^both sides of the wings shrunk^to proper tautnessC flat ribbons 4M»ZZa£d,-«n top and /tit bottom of each rib^ 4haa-ii«U»atJb4Mhixig,^palJjBd-avas3^uJjach — SA» The stitchin^^passed completely through the wing and securely knotted before the next stitch laid. Without the stitching, the fabric could lift on the upper surface, dis­ torting the airfoil, causing loss of lift, and eventually, loss of the entire cover. �7- Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane CJiapter 2 . ' tape fwwarad^very ribstitch line, every seam and every wear point.^^^dded in wet dope, each tape l«tie!!?*^had to be sanded and recoated several times. Once the tapes were firm and smooth^ the entire fabric surface gi vifwa numerous coats of dope, a quick drying resilijmt fori of lacquer TiHwb wwiit- imiii carefully sand^ywith fine grit Slowly the pinked edges of the reinforcing tape disappeared beneath the finish. id th the garage as clean and dust-free as possible, even to water sprayed on the floo^ L—e- fuselage, tail surfaces and wxngs viia'ife' their final coat of color. Of all the color schemes my friends and I could devise, a scalloped red and white seemed to fit the plane's gracefulunes most appropriately. The plane would appear white from top or side and red from below. When rolled it would flash each rotation . , «»/rA "ft* with a change of color. 4^blue slash across the fuselage, a large NINW on each side, the required "Experimental” in two inch letters over the the job was done. ■ii uii d.Liiil bit , -n-l Additional trim could be installed later, after testing had proved^no major alterations would be needed. The start of another school year was only two weeks away^’^/he thought of fielding the same old questions with the same old answers gave me reason to plan the test flight before the first day of the new semester. 1 called John Montebello �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 to arrange for final inspection. Norm Weis He could make it, but it would have to be August 25^ and the semester started the 26th. It would be a close race. ******XA ^^el flow tests, had in5>ortarifc. Up^***^ andy^the center of Should the C.G. be too far to the rear, the plane would be unstable in a stall* and to spin in a flat level attitude from which it mig recover, ^^o far for- warc^ end the plane would be reluc to stall, would tend to porpoise and be difficult, even dangerous to haddle at lower speeds.’;Fhe plans gave no clue as to the location of the center of gravity. I called Lou Stolp, the designer, and asked for pertinent data. We-4Mhd-^Ui>ee«tflrsech~the~mtte«—e£-.gxsaacix^-«iid^ nigny ethe*"*teeBW—ew*eggtj?eT*"cat'taT—h»fcMgaJdaaa:—than nntnO)-! fumiH aaai ■■■ a M With bathroom scales borrowed from four neighbors, and the help of a few flying-type friends, the plane was rolled into position for weighing.^*^^gach front whe^.jaeeeed»on a cross pad connecting the tops of two scales/* ^jSe tail wheeljat on a single scale raised on a platform high enough to achieve With a little algebraic manipulation, level flight position. the location of the C.G. It uae> right I thought it belonge4|* John Montebello couldn't find anything wrong dur­ ing final inspection. He even grinned a bit when he saw the �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Wale tag that read "No It won’t" hanging from the one bolt Installed upside down, John liked the way the plane had turned out. He laid on the eompllments, then twisted the good words into a safety lesson. "You be darned careful now. We don’t want taxy- thing to happen to this nice little airplane* do we?" After the papers were signed* we stood and talked about the procedures and hasards of test flying a new aircraft. If It hadn’t been so late In the afternoon* I would have asked him to help escort the plane to the airport for an insediate test flight. That evening I rolled the little plane out of the garage* backing and filling to clear the foot door* then positioned it on the driveway and tied it down with three stout ropes. A little over ^cee years of spare time/*a^ every bit of spare money I could roxmd up sat there on the driveway. What had started out to be a $3*000.00 plane had escalated to $5,800.00* requring a bit of cooperation from the local bank. I could have shaved perhaps a thousand or so from the total* but It would have meant going second class on important items. New that the test flight was only Iwigs^way* I was that X had chosen the best materials. I Allred conflden^j^ aircraft was sound. 0Uc&leep was Impossible. I reviewed the last few months* wondedng if I had prepared ourself as well as Z had prepared the plane, It had taken two and a half hours of dual instruction in a Piper Cherokee 140 to bring old. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 2 Norm Weis skills up to the level required to pass a flight review. Four additional hours of dual in a two-place Luscomb^brought my rudder coordination back t^ sharpness. Luscombes are naturally nasty on the rudder, probably due to the inordinately forward position of the main^gear. Pilots of such aircraft have to be continually on their toes -- literally on their toes. Quick, short anticipatory jabs with the feet are needed to keep a straight course. From midnight to th^e a.m, I flew airplanes, crashed airplanes, repaired airplanes, then flew and crashed them again. If I forced my mind away from the prospect of flight testing, a plan view of the elevator control system wouldJ^stretch'across Jis' ' * my closed eyes and I would inventory every nut and bolt. Finally I gave up, dressed, brewed coffee and stepped into the warm August night. I sat on the stoop and sipped from the cup, admiring the moonlight on the Starduster's wings, feeling a strange mixture of fear and anticipation. Four hours later, the test flight behind me, still glowing with the pride of accomplishment, I confronted my colleagues at the college, waiting, just waiting for someone to ask, "How's the work on the plane coming?" The few close friends I confided in had spread the word. Everyone seemed to know about the test flight. ^9’ 1 �Adventures in a Biplane It was frustrating. Chapter 2 Norm Weis Finally one instructor, a very predic­ table type, made my day by asking, ”Say, did you ever finish that plane you were working on?” And I replied with great satisfaction, "Why yes, as a matter of fact I took it up for a spin just this morning, ' �j^idventures in a Biplane Norm Weis CHAPTER 3 TESTING The aircraft log book held one lonely entry: Date: Hours: Pilot: Remarks: 8-26-75 .4 N. Weis First test, nose heavy, poor radio reception. The nose-heavy condition was serious. l j J A bad mis­ take hori bnawiiimndn, in determining the proper location of the center of gravity. A double check on the weight and balance calculations revealed no mathematical error. The C. 6. was precisely 4.6 inches ahead of the leading edge of the lower wing, right where it should have been according to the last phone conversation with Lou Stolp, the designer. But when I reviewed the notes of earlier calls and found a second, more rearward set of center of gravity figures, it became obvious that Lou Stolp and I had discussed two different aircraft. Lou had designed a two-place version of the Starduster at a later date, and since I failed to identify my plane on the last phone call, he naturally assumed I was building his most recent design. The 6. G. of ray aircraft should have been at the leading edge of the lower wing, nearly inches bShind its present location. The solution was obvious/ ^ve the C. G. to the �z^-civentures din a Ciplane Norm Weis Chapter 3 rear by removing weight up front or adding it to the tail. Calculations showed that the addition of a pound battery in the tail section would not suffice 4 *w» a generator up front to complete the electrical system. That Wh* the engine would always have to be hant^cranked, but there was an advantage: ^Leaving out the starter, generator, and battery would save more than fifty pounds and result in increased performance. was late afternoon and the wind was calm rolled the plane out of the hangar for was no crowd of curious on hand. >. econd flight. There Just one friend stood by as I climbed in the cockpi t?»anuZran the stick I quickly drafted o crank the prop. While the engine v the plane and mentally prepared myself for a nevj, haps unexpected feel on the controls. The starter was LJW^’pound chunk of lead xjwb bolted to the tail spring ^e leading edge of the horizajgtal stabilizer bit lowered within half an inch Of 'lake-Ioff was the same mind-bending thrill. Tall up, acce2rating, whee1s off and climbing -- climbing steeply. In minute! we were a mile above the ground. Irimmed out, the little plane flew hands off I flew with both arms out in the slipstream and wiggled the palms alternately up and down. I could bank it right and left with the air pressure on my hands If I �dventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 leaned fonvar<^ the plane dove gently. pulled up my knees, she climbed, fortless. Norm Weis If I leaned back and khat a kitten! Flying was ef­ Think a turn to the left and before the thought could end, the path of flight curved sharply. Imagine a spiral climb and the next instant you are looking down from new heights^^ cue wing tip small circles a fading earth. ■■?ome moves the plane seemed to by glfsel^ - /^rely did I feel that I was in complete com­ tnand*»that I moved the levers and the machine responded. climbed and banked and soared^ topped the clouds and them with our fleeting shadoxj^ moved from winf^^^^ver to wing over, climbing easily to each swooping apex to stand breathless on a wing tip, then dive, level and rise to yet another weight­ less falling turn. Finally, !_ retarded the throttle, and rudder to point the way baci< to the airport. the Starduster obliged, kicked the ’.’ith some reluctance i£ sliced down the invisiblb path and let the ground meet us with contact. Clearl;^ the little plane was built for aerobatics. She held promise of a thousand moves I had never dared try. Try them I would, but first the plane must be thoroughly tested, and before the testing could start, the problem with the radio had to be solved. As a physicist, it was embarrassing^to admit fail­ ure with a simple thing like a transmitter and receiver, but as 1 explained to would-be helpers, electromagnetic radiation �Adventures in a Biplane wasn’t my speciality. Chapter 3 Norm Weis After trying three locations for the antenna, and half a dozen different headsets and mikes, I gave up and rewired the external circuitiy. I have no idea what portion of the wiring had been fault^®^^e sudden improvement in reception uc v’Il i.> without question for fear the ques­ tioning would cause a sudden return of the problem. Radios work best^ if the operator has faith^ -y^radio^^sense a suspicious mind an^react ^iMCFTChe^M^ There were many tests to be made before the plane could be considered safe in ^^1 categ^^es. Fuel starvation trials headed the list, The^A^^g^ 1 on fuel tank in the Star­ duster’s nose owed its adequate capacity in part to its deep, belly-shaped bottom, which rode only^^^inches above the car­ buretor when the plane was in level flight. In a steep climb. the tank bottom rode at an even lower level — so low that the last three or four gallons of gas could not be trusted to flow by gravity to the carburetor. A curved, hollow blastZtube facing forward on the gas cap permitted air to be forced into the tank to pressurize the fuel and minimize the possibility of fuel starvation. I had installed a ball check valve in the blast^^be to prevent wholesale loss of fuel when the aircraft was inverted. To test the adequacy of the fuel system, 1 climbed ’normally” to 12,000 feet over the airport, then proceeded to climb as steeply as possible at full throttle. By holding the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Nortn Weis plane on the edge of a stall, the altitude and attitude could be held constant. Periodically I leveled the plane and checked the fuel gauge. gallons remaining, the With only engine continued to run flawlessly, I decided to try a steeper angle of climb, but a dive to speed would be required. I hadn’t mentioned such plans to the tower, so I called and asked permission. They answered with a question. ’What is your present altitude?” ’’Eleven thousand five hundred.” Our control zone tops out at twelve thousand feet.” ’’Okay, I'll climb to thirteen and terminate above twelve.” Diving sharply from 13,000 feet the speed increas­ ed rapidly. The air speed needle wound to the right like a clock gone crazy. At 150 I eased back on the stick and held on as the nose passed horizontal and reached steeply upward I held the angle until the speed faded. The blas|^tube had done its job; ^he engine had run smoothly with no sign of fuel shortage. The accelerometer, or g meter, read a positive two and a hal^ frame and the Starduster's airframe had felt a load -^^JxUp^times our normal weight. My body had exerted a force of 400 pounds against the seat, and the wings had supported nearly 3,000 pounds. The plane was designed �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm Weis to tUce up to 10 g’s, but I suspected that ray body was somewhat less tolerant* I dove again, planning a three g pull up. speed reached X gave the stick a firm pull. sagged and the seat compressed. When the My innards My head felt heavy, then suddenZ^ light as the plane climbed almost vertically. g meter read an even four g*s. throughout. The The engine had operated smoothly I decided there was no problem with the fuel system and directed my attention to the establishment of a "do not exceed speed" and a maximum personal g tolerance. There was a possibility that something might go wrong as dive speeds were increased* The first sign of trouble would probably show up in the form of bibration, and the most likely spot would be the ailerons. If an aileron began to vibrate 1 would have little time to back off on the speed before the aileron would break up. If the aileron went, chances were the wings would go shortly after. connected the radio plugs and stuffed them down 1 dis­ shirt front, tightened the chute straps, unhooked ray second seat belt and rehearsed the procedure for bailing out. 'racial pains^taken during the construction of the cockpit now paid great dividends in peace of min/. I had moved the instrument panel forward two inches and shifted the top of the backrest �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 rearward three inches. As a result, I could exit the plane Norm Weis in an emergency by placing my feet flat on the floor, and after releasing the single lever on the seat belt and shoulder harness, catapult myself straight up and out. Most biplanssrequired a straight-legged exit by brute force of the arms on^cockpit coaming sides or wing mounted hand grips. Once out of the aircraft, there would be no counting, simply a clawing search for the D ring, and that longest of waits for the canopy to deploy. With power on this time, I dove until the speed reached 165, then pulled back firmly on the stick. sagged as the g forces set in. lower in the body cavity. My I could feel the viscera crowd The meter read 5%. I gave the wings a quick visual check as the plane zoomed back to 13,000 feet, realizing I had neglected to watch the ailerons for flutter. I let the speed build to 170 on the next dive and held it there for a quick check on the ailerons, then pulled up abjcuptly -- 5 g’s again. I wondered about the effects of heavy g forces as I regained altitude. Test pilots had been known to suffer from severe hemorrhoids -- even complete rectal inversion. I decided to tighten up the belly and yell on the next pull up. I yelled as the g’s grew and then faded. left aileron okay. The meter read 6. Down again -- 175 -- right aileron okay — I holding down the mike switch �Adventures in a Biplane on the stick. Chapter 3 Norm V'eis If the mike jack had been plugged in, I v/ould have broken the eardrums of everyone in the tower. J.he speed climbed to 178 on the next dive. ailerons showed no sign of teibration. The I gave the stick a brutal pull and yelled ray way through a record ^f»g's, then clirabed to bleed off the airspeed. The engine coughed, fluttered then came back to life as I headed doxTn ivt reduced throttle, conserving the little gas renu'iining. I turned in tight circles, remeiining over the airport, reconnecting earphone and mike jacks, and loosening chute straps that suddenly felt uncomfortably tight. The landing was uneventful. Once in the liangar, I removed all the inspection plates in order to give the plane a thorough going over. had moved or loosened. Nothing The flying wires still strummed middle C, and the wings iC-ralc! be rocked from the tip without a sign of flex. bystander observing the seemingly rough treatment given the plane asked the reason for all the Wiggling and shaking. I explained how g forces had put a heavy strain on the plane making tl^ough inspection necessary. He looked at the accelerometer, still read ■ng*** g s, then straightened up and uttered a classic boy, if it's that hard on the plane, think what it does to your asteroids! Spinning an airplane is simple. In a .iper �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm V’eis Cub or an old Aeronca Champ, the maneuver can even be enjoyable, but spinning the Starduster was something else. I had spen^ several evenings studying find memorizing the (National A^^utics and Space Administration) spin—recovery techniques. recommended full abrupt, opposite rudder, followed by an equally abrupt forward movement with the stick, in case normal neutralization of the control^failed to break the ' plane's spin. *^J^tfeilization of the controls was a procedure to be used only in testing. If ebtrvy e■ eurr-i?.■ within one turn. the plane could be considered normal. In protracted spins, neutralization recovery might requite two revolutions. ®TEe power or ailerons. * . ( lW ?^e application of either could cause the nose to rise, locking the plane into flat of the C.G. too far to the rear Could have the same result^ /<1ie G. G. problems^ al ready experienced contributed little to my peace of mind. If the spin went flat I promised recovery before bailing out. myself two tries at the The plane entered the first spin nicely. With the controls iimnedlately neutralized, the spin terminated in the expected ha If-turn. ' ...I t the two turn spins brought my education to a new level. The Starduster had a two wstage entry} nice and easy fee's— turn, then ran id as hell the second. the secrond rum in al 1*^the opposite rudder and forward stick I could �nturai In a Biplane fine. Chapter 3 Norm Well Xpinning at that frightening rateynearly one turn per aecon(i|.^/lniply neutralising the controls required more cool than I could ■uster.^X cliisbed back to tAAh s had a little conference with myself. ehemeewd and X didn't really want to find out what surprise the plane slight have in store during . the third fourth turns, but if X chickened out now, all hopes o^^eXbatics would have to be abandoned. X would never know the thrill of performing bsfsrr u csusdi Any hope of-* filling Just like *Speed Hohaasg wsuW be gone fui gOTU. X pulled on the carburetor heat, slowed to a stall, kicked hard right rudder and held full back stick, scared but detersdned to try for three turns. The plane again spun slowly /•* 4o the first turn then whipped ints rapid Bsbabisn sn the second^ <»t rotation held constant for turn number recovery, again with frantic full opposite controls, was aocoM*i<>hed in the expected half-turn. Greatly relieved, X climbed back and tried three turns to the lef^ /dien 4ee^ turns right and four turns left.^J^ cool was returning. X tried several more four turn spins, determined^to recover with con­ trols neutralised instead of Jammed full opposite. impossible. X tried counting out loud — ” was 2-3-NEUTRALXZEI” but each time adrenalin rose and X shoved in full opposite con­ trols. <I'^isd aggtu, Vn» my Stnmsrh Ruttewsd a warning - X called it quits at 5 turns left and 5 right with full opposite �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm Weis On several occasion^the tower operator had asked me if I cared to make a low approach. Each time I had refused because I did not know what a low approach was, and hated to broadcast my ignoranne by asking. A fellow pilotfexplainedjlater that it was simply a low-level pass. If that was the case, I could certainly oblige. Apparently they wanted an old-fashioned buzz job, and that^^'^as something I understood. On my next takeoff I keyed the mike and asked if they still wanted me to make a low approach. The man in the tower gave an affirmative, and I explained that I would climb to 400 feet, make a \ , and dive dovm to pass between the tower and the runway at eye level. ’’Affirmative on your plan." The plane was twenty feet off the ground traveling at 160 mpl^as the tower passed by my rocking wings. "Very pretty. Starduster Whiskey, now look out for the Citabria on final for runway two-five." "I have him — I’ll make a climbing turn out. Still at full throttle, I bent the plane around the end hangar, climbing steeply, feeling a new with the men in the tower. Later, one of them told me that my "low approach^ was a bit unusual, and that I really should have avoided the steep turn, and maybe should have cleared that hangar by a few more feet, but he grinned as he said it. �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 3 About a mile from my home in the sul55Srbs, a long flat hayfield offered a tempting opportunity for a convenient '■'backyard landing. I had eyed it carefully each time I flew out on the now almost routine test flightr^^ riel Loose, who grew several crops of hay on the irrigated land each season, was agreeable to letting me land on the field between cuttings, pointing out that the small irrigation dikes fortunately ran lengthwise along the ^00—foot strip. We^toured the field by car, running the length several times at 50 mph to check for bumps. The next day I informed the tower of ny plans, since the field was within their control zone, then proceeded to "drag” the field, flying slowly along the ground noting trees along the ddge and the telephone lines at the north end. On the second pass I rolled the Starduster's wheels yards or so, then took off and went around again. l^ndjSLd Ffy antics had drawn a small crowd. Mel drove out to watch, and several cars stopped on the road. Later I found out one of them was an official On the third pass I rolled the wheels on at the south end, slowed to a stop mid way in the field,/*^d waited for Mel to drive alongside in his truck. VJe for a while about how smooth the field was and how the irrigation dikes were of no real hazard. I told Mel.I would taxi to �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm Weis the telephone line^ then turn and take off do5vr^vind to the south. Being a pilot himself, he agreed it was the best choice. I asked if he wanted to drive alongside on tak^pff and compare speeds. He agreed and I taxied to the north end, Mel following in the truck. The people on the road, including the man from the saw a different picture. They saw an irate rancher drive out and demand the removal of the plane from his land. Then they saw the rancher chase the plane to the north end, where the plane evaded the truck with a sharp turn, and then — believe it or not — the rancher, madder than hell by now, chased that guy in the plane right off his land! On takeoff it must have looked that way, since the Starduster immediately left Mel behind. I held the plane down a bit longer than needed, and in the process drifted over one of the irrigation dikes. The prop chewed away at the earth, throwing up a cloud of dust that added a bit of drama to the occasion. A few days later, after inspecting the prop for damage, 1 had a chance to put the worried officials at ease, explaining that I had permission to land on the ”Mel Loose Hayfield International Airport" at any time, provided the irrigation water was turned off and the crop was short. �hrr-i^- in Ilii . Chapter 3 Adventures in a Biplane I.LjLin;!. tt-,-^^ Norm Weis r-,^—. .it■ IGwould be eye-popping negative g s^ fchip' "feimc-. I decided to break in slowly, starting with zero g’s. The weightlessness of zero gravity is delightful. Most youngsters love it the first time they are tossed in the air. Divers and trampolinists enjoy it briefly as they round out their trajectories.*^ an airplane the effects of zero g can be or extended to properly. seconds if the controls are handled The speed must be increased with a gentle dive, then the plane put in a climb and carefully rounded out with forward pressure on the stick. If done correctly, the plane r<4rrt can be floxvn across the crown^in a perfectly weightless con­ dition. A pen placed on the dash can be "lifted” a few inches and floated at eye level, then gently replaced as boredo. on cross- Years country trips by playing a little game with my cap. Placed. on the dash, upside down and bill facing to the rear, it could be lifted with careful application of forward stick. Once Z ' above the dash, by advancing the throttle^ij^ could fly iry head, airplane and all, forward, under the the bill to forehead, tip^i«»g the cap^*-^ the top of my head. cig i nnaZ Ty t-.h/a 'iri ’iirn>ii Wi'i ■! , i| i.—and thc plane �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm Weis end«4 up in a steep^ heartajZdive. ^|/^/lying at zero g's is not all fu^, PiTt and grit tend to rise from hiding places in the floorboards /hevi Larger objects float from floor to skylight. At various times I have plucked long»lost items from, mi<^^airi^pens^^.^unglasses, a pockel^'knife, and on one memorable occasion, eighty-five cents in change. The situation changes when you shift from zero g to a negative two. ^’^yeballs rise to the top of ^^e^ead 4 crowded by rising cheeks that threaten to close ^2^yelids from the bottom. ent ire body strains against the seatbelt gpj.te of and shoulder^hayess, the most tighi-rn-inn the threat of being ^nd iinrnmf^rtnbiM. 2n an open cockpit, consequently deplaned is real, It'^ even worse in the Starduster because the engine quitM instantly when the plane * negative. The prop.continues to windmill, but the sudden loss of noise and thrust j.<iib upsetting. On top of that^ the gasoline rising to the top of the tank spurt^ out of the blast-tube before the ball chec^cM<4/seat.^^H^lf a cup of gas washoe over the wind­ shield and quickly evaporates, leaving a short-lived trail of moisture condensed from the sudden cooling, t** ------- Ml i'^»-i... fpo-I^iij I if Ji I KI Aa JtJ umiiiil HH'Tyij TTL -.'^i __ lor uho �Adventures In a Biplane rnnmant- any, "7 * - Chapter 3 Norm Weis *»*»*• , - ■ «« >ni^m’i «iw 1 » LU Llm JluUUUlfsit U< UJUgUtlTfl g*l. Uncomfortable or otherwise« the plane had to be tested negative* I climbedy and at 110 miles per hour "pushed over" until the g meter read a minus three and a half. was well past my personal preference. That 1 called it quits and decided quite unprofessionally that any further tests in that direction would have to arrive by accident. The'^iaeemfovb of negative g’s madi^positive . ..... maneuvers! even spins, enjoyable by contrast. 1 M^d-oaee more^to recover from a ^((iF*tum spin with single neutraliza­ tion. shouting at cQrsel^ again. "1—2-3-Neutralize," and X managed this time to stop control movement at neutral position- Wa- the spin went onj finally^*—• j^^SB^iBUgJLana straightened. r Xe«y -T**! that lifsstT. X wondered how much worse an inverted spin would be, and in particular, how much slower the recovery might be. stomach to my throat. The thought raised my If anyone had told m^that within a year X would be spinning the plane inverted, X would^have jJit cJ eiuiw^ he was crazy. The structural tests were now completed. entered an endorsement in the aircraft lo^jooki X ‘ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm Weis At 25.1 hours total time this aircraft is considered to be free of adverse characteristics and capable of handling 'aerobatic maneuvers it! and •A week xater, whil^^igntseeing over the rugged canyon-cut7 soutnem foot of the Bi^ Horn Mountains, the en­ gine^ /tutte'j I headed eas C^^*r^lat grounc!^•Checking tl^ fuel level and engine instruments. Everything appeared normal, but ths engine continued to hiccup every few seconds. Twenty wor^some minutes later I entered the airport control zone on a high pattern, allowing for possible engine failure, then slipped sharply to a landing. The carburetor was wet with gasoline and still dripping. open. Obviously something was holding the float valve That meant the cowling, air-box, assorted engine con­ trols and the carburetor itself had to be removed to get at the trouble. hair Finally the culprit was founds a lodged along side the float valve. inch dog In the sediment XVs****^ bowl iSi* two more hairs waiting their opportunity to add a little excitement to the next excursion over the mountains. I dismantled and purged the fuel system from tank to firewall, but fno further dog hairszw^e founcll >^ie hair had found its way into the tank when I blev; it dry with a vacuum cleaner after pressure testing the tank with water. I should^have letM^ ,3'*xhe water flush out with the first fill of gasoline. PerfeqA^X �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm Weis iiMWMi* tends to compound the simple. I took off the next day with the power plant again running smoothly. Twenty miles out, the engine suddenly took on a nex^louder sound. I thought my ears had simply popped, but that easy explanation evaporated when the cockpit**fteate^ up. . I dropped ouickly to fifty feet, looking for a landing sitefeeling the metal surfaces by my right and left legs. The right side was hot — too hot to keep my hand in firm con­ tact. ’ Probably an exhaust stack had broken. If^Vtie plane ***»/ f ire^ there would be no time to i itwir' ■ <’lying low the worst thing I could do. VJith throttle wide open, I climbed back to a height that would permit use of the parachute. I slowed down and punched in some right rudder, hoping the re- rulting slip might direct the excess heat overboard through the right cowl opening, away from the combustible fabric. The temperature of the panel by my right leg stablized, but the ugly smell of burning paint began to drift through the cockpit. Traffic was heavy at the airport. turn would take time. Landing in I thought about declaring an emergency, considered the possible pos^Vaortem pape^^ork/^nd opted for an extended base in number position, as requested by the tower. The stack had indeed broken off, and the metal flank behind the firewall was scorched brown. I considered /***64‘4 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 3 Norm Weis the needed repair to the exhaust stack and the paint job, re­ calling a dozen other improvements I. wanted to makei^stiffer trim springs, gear*leg covers, wheel pants, an oil#*breather extension, wing fairings/and an oil cooler to bring down the engine oil temperature, ^old weather was setting in, and flying would become uncomfortably cold. add«i^a cockpit heater to my list of changes. A few days later, with the exhaust stack tempo­ rarily repaired, I landed the plane at Mel’s"Hayfield Inter­ national" and taxied down the ranch road to the outskirts of <^U»*x/*‘*** the housing developmen*-^ A raft of kids was on hand to push the plane the remaining few blocks. The little sweetheart was home again; a bit tired and worn from testing, but just as pretty as she had been three months before when she had stood in that same spot, bathed in moonlight. Jay wtood beside me, and we viewed the little Starduster with matching pride. Her delight in the little plane continually surprised me. At that moment the name for the plane became obvious; "Second Sweetheart." Sweet­ heart because she was, and "Second Sweetheart" to let Jay know she still held top priority. �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis CHAPTER 4* AIRSHOW ANYONE? It was good to have the plane home again. The garage became a shop once more as the Starduster's graceful Again it became a joy to open the wings filled its width. doorway connecting house to garage and be confronted with the promise of adventure. Now that the plane 4lis/proven^in flight, f doubt. were The return to mechanical work wasj satisfying. Fly* ing the plane, however exciting and challenging, lacked the feel of accomplishment that follows the creation of something of particular beauty or utility. Building and flying one's own airplane involves a ^MW$ate combination of satisfactions. I rsgrsStrep that I had not discovered the combination earlier. The winter passed easily and the little Starduster blossomed. Wheel pants and gear—leg covers gave the plane a Jia*d6iel»> look that promised added speed. New metal wing fair­ ings connected wing to fuselage, covering a multitude of air resisting protuberances. Wingwalks glued to each wing root offered slip**free access to the cockpit, but created frictional drag that probably negated the streamlining effect of the wing J IM. a d < ✓ Some changes and isyweRRemeghey although unapparent, added greatly to the plane's performance or to ay comfort. 7^ �Adventures in a Biplane th exhaust stacks Chapter 4 Norm Weis reworked and strengthened sleeve ambient air to be warmed and on the right stack ducted to the front of the cockpit. Several old-time pilots scoffed at the idea of a heater in an open cockpit, explainin^the wash of air past the cockpit would pull out the warm air before it could be felt. But the experts were wrong. The heater later proved able to maintain reasonable comfort even with the outside air temperature at the freezing level. After much consultation with the local radio repairmaiy^ the earphones in/Hy helmet with stereo headphones rewired for monjp^aural operation, and wired to the speaker outlet of the radio. The impedance of the new perfectly matched that of the speaker circuity ^at had been marginal reception now became a threat to the eaiOirums. With the volume turned up, the empty helmet sounded like a P.A. systei^*^^hand placed in the helmet was bombarded with puffs of air from both sides. I considered limiting the travel on the volume knob, but decided against it when a friend suggested it might offer a bit of poetic justice to a would-be thief. J’^^^^fack trim to accent the meeting of the basic red and white along the fuselage,and.the vertical fin �Adventures In a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 4 averted a stylized heart crossed by old-fashioned letters that read **^^OND SWEETHEARTf*^^ith those letters, the plane was christened and declared cooqplete* The confinement of wtater sparked plans for summer travel. Some provision had to be made for protecting the plane In strange territory. A snap-on cockpit cover made of coated from rain and prying hands. nylon would offer Emer­ gency tii-down anchors and generous lengths of rope were In­ stalled under the sea^ along with an emergency kit containing signal mirror, flares/^^d smoke bombs. War^t Chinook winds brought a taste of spring In early Marc^ snow sialeed from Mel's hayfield airstrip revealing numerous cow-pies the size of fat hub caps. JEhe Aze larger specimens were elearned from the take-off patch^and ^>fche entire lengjj>/€hecke(p£or gopher holes. ’T^*-***^ M X ^X*small, camera-laden crew gathered the next momlngy4IB*'Second Sweetheart was rolled out of the garage and trundled down the road to the hayfield. The air was crisp and frost covered the ground. The engine started easily, and I taxied down the strip, dodging the occasional frozen cow-pie. After checking the engine, I called the tower, two miles to the north, carefully holding the volume at a minimum. They answered Immediately with In­ formation on wind velocity and altimeter setting. I Informed them of ny plan to take off and make a few passes down the 72 �Adventures in a Biplane Chep^i^r d ____________ iari)? fi ifild fox rjuo r blitia squared the plane away and Norm Weis opened the throttle. The tail rose quickly, anc^ with the nose lowered I plotted my course down the field, missing the largest of the remaining cow-pies. I was still dodging when the wheels met a small rise and we left the ground. climb was phenomenal. stronger than ever. In the cold dense air the The old thrill of flight was back, I succumbed immedidhfely to the temptation and laid a wing down for a slipping^diving pass down the field, terminating with a sharp nearly vertical pull up. Another pass, and I rolled the wheels on the ground, carefully missing the cow-pies, recalling the quip a friend made earlier about going up when the chips were down. Photographs completed, I settled into respectable straight and level flight, and called the tower for clearance to land. On final approach, half a mile short of the runway, my pride in the little airplane surged to a peak. I keyed the mike and asked the tower if I could make a low approach. The response was distinctly cool, ” h — Starduster Wliiskey -- Ah, what is the occasion?” ’’Oh, ^*^'d just like to show off the finished product. You might call it a low pass for therapeutic purposes. There was a long paus^ ^^e operator no doubt re­ calling my earlier "low approach” that turned into a buzz job. 75 �entures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis "Starduster Whiskey, affirmative on that low approach -- confine fvs your path to runway maintain normal speedy ond follow standard patteriu^ ^They had my number —• there would be no more grass patch hi-Jinks at this airport, ^^flew down the runway at 120 mph, 100 feet off the ground, climbed to proper altitude/^^d executed a very correct rectangular pattern, landec^/^^d taxied to the ramp full of rebellious thoughts. How much fun it would have been to fly by the tower at eye level, upside down, then key the mike and drawl out, "is my gear up?*A jSsuisLfnB, wliau I mT~timgsT Tnpt to fly- jpr”*nTlrl-Ui Liiiili ri".' *2^ -m lrp'‘Tr rni 1 hsri 1? 'y*iL Llm first I’d have to learn to fly upside down, ^^propriately, aerobatics was the next challenge on the agenda. Finally, more than £a«ey years after watching Speed Holman fly aerobatics at the Omaha Air Show, my chance to try the same moves had arrived. For several months X had been reading various books on aerobatics. Xnvariably^the introduction made it clear that good instruction was the first requisite. Bu^my single-seat aircraft did not lend itself readily to dual instructlon. Xfcnteuld be hsmdiew to teach myself aerobatics even if k meant doing it the hard way. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Nora Weis YT*......... . iluriTH the jesting-"phise *" |l^£e**edge flight, or flying on the side, was the first new maneuver X wanted to learn^ fawrite aerobatic book laid out the control moveiBents in precise terms. 1 suHOorised them one evening and set out the next morning to try ray hand. Three thousand feet above the ground, I rolled Second Sweetheart to the left until the wings stood perpendicular to the horizon. Xanediately things began to happen » the nose dropped and the plane entered a steep diving turn. X recovered and flew back to altitude, •O*I mentally going over author^Kaeehnec^s instructions once again. On the second try I applied more top rudder to keep the nose up. The plane responded properly for a moment, then began bucking about before dropping into the same steep 7r �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 4 time with an entry speed of The little 140 mph. flew straight away, nose slightly high, wings perpendicular to the ground. At 160 mph it was even better — she would hang on to the altitude nicely until the speed dropped to 120 th^^buck and bounce around, warning me it was time to level out before ou^ - ■ •' '' L-jry. control mouemen involved. rudder started the r At the onset. left 1, then opposite or ‘top” rudder; had to besfed j f orwa At the same time and er (right rudder strongly to keep the nose up. pressure on the stick was nt a turn to the Recovery was simply leaning the stick to the righ nd easing off on necessary to a matte stalled ■ '* the top rudder. Once knife-edge right and left were perfected, it was time to try inverted flight and rolls. The book claimed it was simply a matter of holding the stick hard to the left, into knife-edge position and right on past, then eas the rudder as the wings leveled with the horizon, upside down.of course. Once inverted, some forwara^pressure would be required to hold the nose up. I might liave succeeded on my first try if so many �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis things hac^n^t happened in such rapid sequence. As the plane approached the inverted position, the usual cup of fuel spilled from the filler cap. As the gasoline spilled over the windshield, negative g’s took up the slack in the seat belt. My body shifted downward out of the plane an inch or two, and the top of my head felt the hard buffet of the slip stream. Ther^ the^engine quit^ since the plane did not have an 11ll II it I The propeller continued to windmill and inverted fuel system. the engine would restart when upright. was frightening. i , the total effect The adrenalin flowed, and I reacted with Ji * shameful panic, throwing in full opposite aileron, and back on the stick. was a mistake. Using aileron was proper, but the back stick*^ In seconds we were headed straight down, the engine again running, screaming to high rpm’s as the speed built to 150, then 160. I yanked the throttle back and pulled out of the dive gradually. The speed built to 175 and the g meter wound past the 6 mark. I gave the situation a bit of thought as I climbed back to altitude. Forward pressure and continued use of aileron would have let the roll continue to completion. With the seat belts and shoulder harness tightened. I tried again. This time the spilling gasoline was no surprise. The negative g's were briefly uncomfortable, but soon lessened as the roll continued to the opposite knife-edge, then to upright �Chapter 4 Adventures in a Biplane position. Norm Weis The nose had wobbled all over the horizon, but the roll was accomplished. Now it would be simply a matter of per­ fecting the technique. It took half a hundred tries to purge my system of all the wrong ways to roll an airplane. Finally, with the cause of each mistake recognized, I could roll the plane to the left without flaw, keeping the nose pointed steadily at t-w point on the horizon. learn. but a sure way to Trial and error is a hard Hrininrirrw, -it- nanniimn; i .i i ur»—Mlili ii P tn mo have learned faster, but I was under a double handicap — a slow learner taught by an inexperienced, often bewildered instructor. Once accomplished and perfected, each new maneuver add^to the feeling of freedom fnii -21 i -'■□x. jkiw* It’s a special feel that can never be felt by those limited to ground travel. Ill that 1parallel ''_2r Tn * Pko clOSOSt is with a young driver newly turned loose with a sports car fresh from the dealer’s showroom. The acceleration is heady and the cornering ability impressive^nllBWiH the new found mobility is^two dimensional. But now imagine a new feature — one that permits the driver to control the shape of the road ahead. A turn to the right banks the road, and the car changes direction without tendency to skid. Rapid create wide, perfectly banked S turns/that fit perfectly beneath �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis the car’s wheels. Jgofc back on the steering wheel and the It road tilts upward and stretches into the ? -^h-7-r upfiride down if you wish, an^^^ck to level^ the road^ always in place, curving and sweeping in tune with your every move.^^'^/^e that road invisible, change the steering wheel to stick and xuddei^and increase the sensitivity to the point of response, and you are in the cockpit of Second Sweetheart, ing the caprioles of a modem Pegasus. . It sta^s with the airplane pointed straight upj^ the^ as the airspeed approached zero, the nose drops sideways like a hammer strike* “TH ^BB"Kontinues rotating until > is pointed straight down. the wings all the while in the same geometric plane, like the arms of a youngster doing a r.artyTheol omehow convince mvself that s eights •e jus wo hammerheads put to VJhat I tho was straight lazy- I was wrong. climb. straight down simply^-s/eap dive. J*io fly truly straight up is difficult, and to fly precisely, vertically downward is alarming. fly straight up, one must first gain a little extra speed — 150 or so -- then pull up firmly and look.to the side. Whe^^the wings stand'Vertical you are heading straight up/ A glance to the opposite wing to check for equal spacing right and left,^/^!! ensure a �Adventures in a Biplane straight Chapter 4 non-leaning path of flight. On my first try, airspeed dribbled away plane fell back down in a tail- both wings ■L Norm Weis slide — a move that puts fantastic forces on the elevator and I hung on to the controls firmly as the reverse air rudder. flow tried to slap the control surfaces full travel. The stick moved back forcibly and the plane,whipped quickly to the nose»-down position. After an oscillation or two we were headed Nothing was visible ahead but straight down. Good grief! solid ground! The air speed needle wound rapidly to the passed the 100 mark right On the next try the top. J—: t-ihhi} back as- the stick. threw in full left arudder at The plane wobbled over and headed down crooked and partially inverted. Three tri^ later it becameeevident that the right wing, traveling faster on the outside of the curve, ^*#*/*^ was still giving lift. I tried^a little right aileron with the left rudder -- bette^— more aileron — better yet. Forty or so hammerheads later, the maneuver predictable, but hardly perfected. The secret was to detect the approach of zero speed* and lay into the controls so.that the wings were half way around whuw all the, speed was gone. Done properly, the controls at the ape:^werej full left rudder, full right alleron/^id almost full forward on the stick. go �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis UU41 a th3e foot piece of yam tied ■ to the left strut, the maneuver became a cinch* Whei^peed^^^^*lorate«^, the ordinarily straight yam would whip about* After one good Xh A* V whip* it was time to feed in the controls -- full left rudder, stick in the^comexieruntil the plane was straight down. JIhe yam agiHin. assumed a straight position, again perpendicular to the horizon. Wash syas again.4e<mimmd» the nose cmild bn bold on a point on the ground for a nice straight-down line« than tsans t-bT airgf-Tiriil inHrmt‘‘-r "imit fcr'crcpa.i‘ opirBTi New maneuvers seemed to start with apprehension, then move through alternate periods of pride and fright, followed eventually confidence. confidence, and sometimes blase over- That was the case with the hammerhead. I began to think there was nothing to it. But there was one more way of fouling up the maneuver that X hadn't yet blundered upon. For some reason, perhaps it was simply curiosity, I fed in full control movement while still going up at about 60 mph. The sky went crazy! Completely disoriented, X watched the sky and ground trade places over the nose. Air rushed in from the side, then from behind, and the stick ^cane alive in my hand. X fought it, but it went full travel forward and the plane whipped into a new node. all X could see was ground* We were rotating, and Having been in broken maneuvers 2/ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis before where I just held on until the plane settled into some­ thing I understood, such as a dive or spin, I wasn't greatly However, I didn't recognize this movement. worried. It felt like a spin, but no sky was visible — just brown ground. After three or four turns I decided t had better do something besides just wait it out.^"—' J ‘ "■■*1 suspicion that I was in an inverted spin quickly blossomed into fear. Luckily I had memorized the recovery from the dreaded maneuver, even rehearsed ityi^ maliiia fchu uuL-L.. lull. ^ania proof. Throttle back, full opposite rudder, wait a bit for the rotation to stop, now full BACK stick -- point her for the ground! Ah, straight down — wait fox speed — now The altimeter read 1000 feet above the ground as pull out. I leveled out. Damned fool! Next time you want to experiment, do it way up there where a parachute might do you some good! A person can learn a lot from his mistakes. The secret is to survive the first mistake and never repeat it^^ r-.-i 1 1^111- n -i^y I anii! bnwJJia -1, c— ’ Learning aerobatics is the same as learning anything else «•«* but the penalty for failure is greater. " "y' at^^Oatic piloLt ''L- . passin^*4^rough on hrs way to a cont^«€^^stened to about the higT>><^ed liararfleMreS^ As I reached \ jf ?2. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm /eis olsal hananerhead, he began to smile, then nod his head in/a know­ ing manner. \ \ "Have you ever done a Lomcevak?" "Nope." "Oh yes you have." / / / He went on to\explain how to do a Lomcevak (Lumonevak) on purQ pose. Had I entered on a 45 degree up line about 30 miles an hour faster, it would have been more spectacular but would probably have ended thk same way -- spinnmg down inverted. His first bout with an inerted spin canfe when he fell out of In a mild panic h^mistakenly applied power the top of a loop. and the spin flattened. The contro^ went slack and ineffective. At the last moment he backed off \ne throttle and recovered at a few hundred feet. The t-shirt/he\ears at aerobatic contests sums up his feelings, for on i/ is printed in large black letters, "INVERTED FLAT SPIn/DIRTY YOUR^UIT OF THE LOOMS." Only one thir^ is worse, claimeX another experienced pilot, and that is findi/g one’s self pointed straight down at red line speed. Havi^ experienced both problems\l figured I would be pretty saf^in the future. That sophomoricVassumption would put me into /several more close scrapes and finally convince me that I would/never know enough about aerobatics to do\it in complete safeW. But sophomoric as I was, I felt it was tKsje to show oth^s just how damned good I was. \ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis FAA regulations demand that aerobatics be con** ducted ^500 feet above the ground, off the airways/'^d away from populated areas. Aerobatics are defined as any abrupt change in direction, generally considered to be climbs or dives beyond and banks more than OccasionalIjr turbulent air may cause one to exceed such limits a handy excuse. ly^developed the same bad habits displayed by most pilots a few hours after solo$ sho^j^ff, my wings I was a complete and utter I never passed anyone on the ground without wagging was it^ld^^each way. For two people I would add a rule bending hammerhead and top off with a slipping turn down alongside to accept their accolades. Three or more specta­ tors constituted a crowd and 1 pulled out the stops. At 1^00 feet over the ground 1 would treat the folks to loops, hanaaerheads, rolls/*^d a few things 1 still wasn't sure of. gnnf geneiirnlly hrniipht e sehuvri LBrrea’SCTT and The fliat'aiuulF ehe show would ewd-^ My particular weakness was schoolbuses. I could not pass one without swinging down at eye level, a few feet off the ground at a very legal 500 feet to the side, then put^^e Sweetheart in a climbing degree" banked knife-edge that rode on the brink of illegality. Occasionally I fractured the regulations badly, but always by "accident," or "due to turbu­ lence.” The latter was, of course, an act of God, and the former simply the result of soooething the devil made me do. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis 'eated nets As a youngster* plane that passed overhead* change in attitude* never failed to watch every air Most aircraft traveled past without 1 could never figure out vhy a pilot of a machine that could go up and down and all about would ever settle for straight and level flight. capabilities? ing? Didn't he know his Didn't he know 1 was down here watching and wait* And didn't he know that thousands of other kids were look­ ing up* aching to see the plane do what it was built to do* a roll* or a loop/*or at least a dip of the wing? On one memorable occasion a passing plane suddenly dove* then looped — an^ looped again. Z ran the two miles to the airport and found^the plane had Just taken off* The mechanics told me all about it — how it had almost 100 horsepower* olio struts and could do almost any stunt* even spinsI Since that time Z Jisiie I fflniii each sedate passage of an aircraft as a personal affront. Z might forgive airline pilots and even the pilots of chartered aircraft* but for the pilot of an aerobatic aiircraft to pass over strAA^t and level is an insult to every envious youngster below* That's why Z perform for every schoolbus Z see* J'^huprolls in some aiimlant back Qar*^e stich>^tomp the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis* about — then reverse everything when the horizon, looks proper again* Xn the Starduster the horizon whl you to hal^ Its rotation at exactly o just getting ”wltH It" as the time There Is a narrow o It* rtunlty f After hours and and defies aro turn. The plane Is neutrallaatl perfection. approaches I se dom found snap rolls X finally fettled for rs o an early recovery and h up with aileron. The snap roll is really just a spin horizontal line retlcally, the plane could be Into a with the nose d^e^plng until a But not Dustff Whiskey* p and It would 8p/.n along* inventlonal spin ^as asstimed She spln8\pne and three/quarters turns pauses, ^(Uffets and idtlps over Into dire on* spin In t|(e opposite A spectacular move* but one dlsl/ke repeating, e It always feels accidental The little biplane had assumed several personal1 ties with names to match. Quite naturally she was the "Sweet- heart*' whan she was delightful, but she became "Duster Whiskey" when beWstlal* Officially she was "Starduster NINW," but on �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis the radio her name was 'Starduster One November Whiskey.” After the first call, the name is generally shortened to ’’November Whiskey ’ by the tower, but I always acknowledged the transmissions x^ith ’Duster Vliiskey on their toes. with to c u til i. u "'“"“TTC t - - L"U i j □ t -rid keep Occasionally a controller would counter Dusty i.hiskers. Second Sweetheart was not a part of the registration number/^id therefore not permitted in the communications^. dk-l“ though 1 often would have preferred to call her that^particularly after a satisfying session of aerobatics. She was especially deserving of the name when she forgave the mistakes made dur­ ing a sloppy landing caused by a fuzzy brain in a head still swimming from snaps and rolls. ' There are four basic types of rolls one can do in an aircraft. Besides the snap rolls and slow rolls^ there are the barrel rolls and falling aileron rolls. The aileron rolls are the easiest and can be accomplished in most any aircraft. The plane is aimed upward at about^5iydegrees, stabilized on a straight if climbing line, then the stickyipushed full travel to the side. No forward or back pressure is used. The plane rolls and falls along a curve ending up in level flight as the wings again reach the horizontal. At a tendency to pull back on the controls xszhile passing through the uncertainty of inversion, but they^suclden dive and increase in speed tenc<* to discourage a second similar mistake. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis The barrel roll is not quite as simple* Books by Kerschner and Cole disagree on the nature of this seemingly rudimentary maneuver. The problem is that the roll looks vastly different when viewed from the inside and the outside. The ground observer sees the plane flying a horizontal spiral with the plane's idieels rolling along the inside of an invisible barrel, hence the name. about a point. The pilot sees the nose rotatjl^C'idely Cole stresses nose positio^^’^*Iter8chner|^deals uatian baeeaws I solicited the advice of local pilots, but found /** Uzt none with recent experience with barrel rolls. This did mart stem the flow of advice* however* and well-meante et»— iLTTd fiul uiil untuiiiiHili sne adiHuiUigV. I lgf*1 I (<ould take my plane up and try out each vagrant i.^*^4After many altitude-losing, speed-gaining abor­ tive rolls t^^he truth became evident* position didn't go hand in hand. Nose position and true Nose position led by 90 degrees The craft was at its highest point when it was half'^ay through the roll in the Inverted position, quite contrary to^majority opinion of those idio frequently fly the local hangar. perfectedyi^ the barrel roll became pr favoritir. Once The g's remained positive throughout, ranging from plus two or three at start and , mfr end to a plus 1/4 or so at the top. I could do them endlessly �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis with my eyes shut or glued to the altimeter to check the rise and fall in altitude. In reality the barrel roll is nothing but a loop stretched sideways. If you compare a loop to the coil of a spring ^^hen the barrel roll is a coil on the same spring that has been overstretched. I have passed over the loop intentionally, be­ cause it has always been easy for me. It’s simply a matter of diving to a speed 2C^^^*or so over cruise speed, then hauling back on the stick until the world turns upside down and then right side up agair^ —* .'i!, l.-.c-LLt lu.'*? .1. LL.-T*. The path is far from circular, but it’s easy to correct r-- that problem by slacking off on control pressures at the top of the loop and round it out. at build agai 3 or 4, Properly done, the g’s should o a 3 or 4. ■: at tAe , then oop should end at the original spaed and altitude Most pilots will tell you that altitude can be exchanged for speed, and speed exchanged for altitude. statement is generally true. you that a little ITie Those same pilots will tell 1'1 i Iwi lar speed brings added safety^ But quite the opposite is true when it comes to entering a maneuver called the split S, A fellow pilot and friend was killed recovering from a split S. It is possible that he entered it with extra speed, assuming the speed gave 1^ S'? �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 4 him a margin of safety./The split S is a simple move. Just • Mt roll^ inverted and pull back on the stick for half a loop ««d <>**’ the plane is again upright and flying in the opposite direction. It was a favorite move of World War I pilots. Entered at cruise speed, 120 mph, a split S in Second Sweetheart results in a loss of about 500 feet, /ntered at 150, Duster IThiskey uses up ^100 feet before straight and level can be achieved! It is much mm-e enjoyable to begin by aiming the plane upwards on a angle, then rol^r^side down and complete the loop with no loss of altitude. Repeat the maneuver and you have a Cuban 8, a favorite of airshow pilots. Once the basic moves are learned, it is a simple matter to put them together to form new, seemingly difficult maneuvers. Half a loop plus half a roll forms an Immelman, and four loops with a quarter roll on the down sweep of each makes a cloverleaf, e.. th At ><inn'do ow mifeawde? 5^r»P<-V>ni-.-i,n,ia1 ,1y rlnnni'wi^ II ■*^0 I'M Utf' "TOTO , ISTJWIJLU! luup ■difficult maneMVe-ra wnnl nnM« 1 ini>.i|«M |.|4.|... r. — The International Aerobatic Club, the official organ of the serious aerobatic pilor. The I.A.C sponsors a number of contests each year, separating pilots into iwfer categories ranging from Sportsman to Unlimited. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis For some time I had been toying with the idea of entering competition to see how my self-taught skills measured <*** up to the tutored variety. To get an inside view of.competition, I drove the 300 miles to Boulder, Colorado, home of the nearest Aooni chapter of the organization. The fellows were helpful, drawing out the maneuvers required for Sportsman competition, explaining the ’’box” and the scoring system. me to enter the Rocky Mountain They also invited erobatic Championships to be months away. held nearby on Memorial Day, just Fired with new purpose, I hurried home, bought 200 pounds of lime and drove out to my favorite practice area in hopes of talking the local rancher into letting me lay out an aerobatic box in his pasture. He was a tall gangly sort, with a handshake like a steel vise. "So you’re the fella that’s been doin’ the fancy flying up there!’ , . MS t't It sounded Iwwe I w»6 in for some^heavy. You know you cost me a whole afternoon’s work — had half a dozen neighbors over to help me out and here you come a flyin’ over -- couldn’t get a lick of work out of them — just sat there and watched. ' His name was John Steinle, and he was tickled to have me lay out the comers of the box -- even asked me to swing over the ranch each time to waggle a hello. We discussed �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis soma of my practice maneuvers and I quickly learned that his slow drawling manner hid a quick eye and sharp judgment. He told me my loops wobbled on top, my “fast” rolls never came out straight^^^d that he didn't like it when 1 flew straight down. I answered that those "fast" rolls were called snaps, but that he was right on ever^count. For the next few weeks, John made a practice of calling me an hour or so after a practice session and giving me the benefit of his advice. His comments were always helpful and welcome -- as welcome as was his greeting each time I flew past the ranch at ground level. He always heard me coming and would be outside wildly waving his Stetson. Once I surprised him on the corral fence -- he stood up on the rails and waved his hat anyway. The aerobatic box was ^300 ieert by ^600 feet. A small outhouse stood at one comer, a gravel pit at another. I marked the two remaining comers with lime and traced a dashed white line down the middle. ^500 feet above the ground The bottom of the invisible box was the top was ^00 feet. The actual elevation of the ground was about ^400 feet, and in order to make net altitude calculations easier, I made it a practice to pass by at ground level and set the altimeter at an even 5000 feet*. and a< sum sr* waggle ub Jeha en She way'by» The;;j>eafeg»was^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis top limits would then be 6500 and 8600 feet on the altimeter. /O Putting 4Nn» maneuvers together without pause was not easy, but I finally was able to struggle through the Sports­ man sequence without a major goof. Eventually I could even do all 4^ and stay within the confines of the box. Full of confi­ dence, I filled out my entry form for the Boulder contest.,, and stumbled across a few unexpected regulations in the process. In order to perform at an aerobatic contest, it was necessary to have a paid-up $300,000 liability policy, membership in the and a current low-level waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration. X tackled the last item first. The accommodating folk at the District Office of the FAA set the time and place for the waiver flight. I had only a week to practice before demonstrating my capabilities over the east-west runway of a little-used airport north of town. The maneuvers X chose and the altitude X wished to use ecM my optionC The FAA representatives would judge sy compe­ tence to repeat the seme maneuvers in front of a crowd. X chose to do the Sportsmen routine at poo feet, breaking frequently to climb for altitude. X staggered out of the Xmmlmann, and ovej£rotated on the spin. The final snap roll was crooked as hell, so X just held the wings crooked, swung about in a turn and bored in for a low-altitude knife-edge followed by a point roll, then a hammerhead to reverse �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis dlrectloxyfollowed by a dive to ground level and a climbing aileron roll finale. 1 swung around* slipped Into a landing on the dirt strip* taxied over to the FAA officials and Inquired If there was anything else they wanted me to demonstrate. were all smiles and coaq>llment8. They Later, when the waiver was being filled out, I asked for sosie helpful criticisms. The observers had noted jtr flaw In the Immelmann but thought every** thing else was fine. It was their first experience^with a low altitude walvex^^gi^didn't learn much from each other, but we enjoyed the exercise. Within a week I was Invited to put on an air show. Having the only aerobatic biplane Inside a 100 mile radius may have had something to do with It. Then again, It ma^^l|ave been because I worked so cheap. Vp Lu tills puink 1^didn't fee^ny talents warranted a fee. This Invitation, however, was Ideal. The faculty members of the college where I teach were holding an afternoon picnic and wanted me to entertain the group. Of the hundred or so that were expected to attend, only three or four were pilots Of those, only one had done any aerobatics, and he was an understanding frl^d. The picnic was to be held at the Casper Boat Club), on Alcova Lake, a site not conducive to low-level aerobatics. The Club was on the south side of a narrow bay baziked on each side by 500-foot-high hills. I decided to play �Adventures of a Biplane Chapter 4 Norm Weis it cool and stay ^500 feet above the water except for a low— level nor^erobatic pass or two. At precisely 2:30, I swung down over the lake at high speed, flew the length of the narrow bay, a few feet off the water, set the altimeter at an even ^000 feet, then zoomed up well clear of the hills. Sportsman sequence. At :^00 feet I flew throggh the It was old stuff by now and slightly I climbed a bit higher and tossed out two rolls of boring. toilet paper which promptly unrolled to form long vertical ribbons. A split S put me through the bottom string, and a hammerhead reverse let me approach the top one on a climbing line. I rolled my way through the paper. I was tempted to dive straight down through the remainder, but feared that I might accidentally clog the air intake. Down below, the loudspeaker proclaimed that the toilet paper was not only bio­ degradable, but it was used, probably by the pilot. After one last pass at the toilet paper, pretty well bunched up by now, I swung down for a final fly-by. the road above. I could see cars stopped on People were standing by their cars looking at the plane several hundred feet below. The Sweetheart climbed nicely, speed dribbling off to a comfortable 100 as I leveled with the hill to my right. bright idea. Suddenly I was smitten with a I eased over the hill in a crippled altitude, then retarded the throttle as much as I dared, pulling the �Adventures In a Biplane old disappearing act. Chapter 4 Norm Weis Z gilded silently down the valley, out over the lake, and turned toward the Boat Club. Therewith throttle opened wide, I tore past the Boat Club again. I thought it was a great act —•> better than the one Bob Hoover does at Reno. Then 1 realize<^my wife was In the crowds The fun I had wasn't worth the scathe she got or the hell I caught! Requests for al^hows poured In,—ikoth of them arrived the sane day. The first offer was from students of the fourth-grade class In one of the Casper schools. The class had been studying a unit on aviation and wished to top It off with the real thing, With great regret I turned down the offer, since aerobatics over town were prohiblted/and an alternate site could not be foun<h^ *** The second offer was from a^^mall townlnear that would pay gas money and a few extra bucks for a demonstration. Z accepted ehweffem immediately, -'My debut as a performer was something less than spectacular^ only get better. bu^ things could Bhme day Z would fly for a crowd —• a big �Norm Veit Adventure! in a Biplane CIOTING W lABXLICAl. Chester 5 Of the many regulations laid down by the Federal Aeronautics Administration, relatively few apply to homebuilt aircraft. However, one of j^te Bei» caused me great frustration. rule states that foi^ fifty hours, a hcmiebuilt cre£t may not fly Biore than fifty miles from home base. Beaty hours ihad alesady ■been logged while testing the plane and learning basic aerobatics.^ Those efforts were made close to home, amd» the fifty mile umbilical had never been a problem. with suimr approaching, X had the urge to go �Adventure* in a Biplane place*. Hora Vela Chapter 5 a dog on a JBeJdan^ly ths uwh^iinal piilled tightiw chain, X paced the perimeter, learning more than 1 really wanted to know about the terrain within the circle. Ten hours doesn't sound like ouch, but at 120 mph it meant }200 miles of wandering •• always within the limit* of my^/ederally regulated playpen. I looked at cows and sagebrush, creeks and lakes, and waved at countless fishermen. 1 flew up smooth slopes and *— down ahe precipitous canyons, Utub syawd UPC Upuu ths flas*. X la sene if the h^nts o£ eagle* and fsund' the place;^ antelope play. l^*^^serving wil^jlife. ties paesieulurly ■fmsolisirtMJir especially from a height of a dozen feet or s^ a J^actions to the passage of what must have seemed a big noisy bird^ were varied and at sAraes^*^zing antelope reactf*with total confusion. An entire herd w4r41 Jun^ and run outward like a starburst s I ll>~—I liiw II fl Ki...V win atIsen fee his C Flying over undulating ground, the planebe heard by antelope long before it^X^be aeen* They are a Biost inquisitive animal, and the sound puzslesF them. On sever* id occasions I bagr approached a rise to find an antelope stand* ing on it* hind legs, peeking over the rise to spot the source of the mysterious sound. -------- �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Noma Wais One early morning I happened upon ew-buck antelope fighting on the flat top of a broad mesa. Their heads seemed glued together as Uiey took turns pushing each other about* They had been at it for a while* if the radiating scuff marks were any sign* I circled above and watched the proceedings* Finally* when the action slowed* Z dropped quietly down to ground level* then opened the throttle wide as I passed over­ head. Looking back* Z could see two dust trails extending in precisely opposite directions. Each animal thought the other had won* Bird watching is fascinating sport* axid Z admit to the hobby without sh^e. JKewomme^ X prefer to do my watching from an aircraft^*^*s triclqr business*^ Seme birds treat aw Their reesttemejjBaep^wtdel'ji. Bussards are generally docile* and interpret the plane's presence as one more bird in coc^etition for the food below* At times I have joined their spiral at high altitude* then left abruptly to lower and circle about another spot, try­ ing to lure theoAS^^/lggsw gaen>»* only briefly. It seldom works* and then The bussard is a very smart bird. Qeese are spooky and quite intolerant. Flying in a slow aircraft* it is ilways sporting to attempt to join up �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 at the tail end of the vee. Norm Weis The tail-^nd Charlie lets you approach Just so close before squawking out a warning. Some*-* times the lead goose fails to respond, the signals from the rear overwhelmed by the engine noisebut the message is relayed eventually and the vee breaks away, generally diving toward the ground and safety, Eagles flap their wings with great majesty. would have delighted in a study of their movement. Da Vinci The main por­ tion of the wing is always half a beat ahead of the tip, giving the wings a rubbery look, with elbows still rising as tips begin their descent. But the eagle is not to be trusted. There are many eagles, both bald and golden, in Wyoming, and I’ve learned to leave every one of them alone. Where a hawk might veer j.way when approached, an eagle is more likely to close in belligerently After all, he knows he’s the biggest bird in this part of the worldtherefore has no reason to faa^ The first few times I pulled alongside an eagle, I - wi thought his sudden approach was accidental,’ i began to keep track of their behavior carefully and found that while a few *Su2a •ee^ most are inclined to close in, and or few 4*0*1 C. are instantly angry and aggressive. ^serving wild life, fascinating as it was, ev«ti- tually nacsme boring.; The confinement caused by ny d4»ey>mile /aa �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Ko rm Wais txahllical took the edge frriTTt even thn rrnglluBfr erivrwlwrr,^^dio conversations with traffic contfccllers in the local tower became the high point of most flights. Each controller seemed to broadcast his own attitude It was like studying a new form of by implication or infXecticn, sedentary/?ut vocal wild life. One of the fellows could be called the drawler, or perhaps the gargler. the mike close to his lips. Ha always spoke with His voice could put you at ease in an emergency, or perhaps sound asleep on final approach* Occa­ sionally ha sounded J^ke he wXs running down/^^d needed re­ winding. X pegged him as a talk friendly sort. �/adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis Some controllers are brusque and all business. One broke in abruptfy^as^I slowed after a landing, jai. such hiskey, go to ground.** (rapid»-fire.) '’One November It took a few moments to figure out that he meant Casper ground, I should switch to the ground control freouency. (slovz, cool drawl.) this is Starduster 'ihiskey.- ■hat did it cost to make fhat olane?' (staccato.) i/e •' ansvzered, one syllable ''omething over time. . - - Probably v/orth it, ---- —- it- like all one word. One communicator seemed to have a(biU>"i^ against experimental aircraft. -e always made me feel as if i intruding upon his private air space. He was on duty one late afternoon as I approached for a landing. but he was ’hue5^/^ raffic was light, On the third call he acknowledged existence cleared me to lanozand went on to more serious matters. iestem flight five cleared to take off. homebuilt Traffic one mile south lower, ihstern five, '^■hat make is the homebuilt £respect^? ’ ’’Don’t know. Just a ’’ ould you ask the pilot?' I broke in, volunteering, '’Starduster �AdvQiituxQS in a iiiplaae Chapter 5 Norm Weia There was a long pause before the controller replied. ’'Well, his call letters are Starduster One November Whiskey guest it's a Starduster fismal]^tne/ij," ’'Casper Tover, Western five* I have him in sight «• it’s a pretty bird.” On subsequent transmissions, tke uuiitYenTer^cdhtittned Jit *i«eu1*i rtiB einil isssw* fteeettiOT»» X (aiiwii). made it a practice to j^gggaiMbiwMMieetegb* using werieMMS* tenu OMeii as CUSTOM-BUILT, SPORT PLANE, TWO-WINGEs/and finally PRZTTT kii ybr got the message. After that it was a biVplane or experimenta^ ^nly a trace of snear). One fim-loving operator gave the following instructions to a pilot, obviousl|c a straxiger, approaching for a landing} ’’Your clearance was for runway 21 «« you are approaching runway 3. Be advised that you will have a 40-knot tail-wind; however, you may land on runway 3 If you wish.” Notliing like creating a little excitement with a wild down£wind landing on a dull day. Low-level approaches to busy airports are generally discouraged* Mn^Tever, there are exceptions. When a new radar system was installed at the local airport, the newly trained operators frequently asked arriving pilots to take part in a mock radar approach, X always refuse*^ oatpl/iaed later that since the plane lacked any blind flight instruments, X would never be able to penetrate an overcast anyway. However,^ X just �Adventures in a Biplane Kona Weis Chapter 5 might, come limping in under an overcast, glued to the ground, and unable to find the alrpor^ ^ould bhiy help me in such a cae«^ John Chase, traffic controller, radar operator,/and transplanted Okee, figured he could find me on the scope and lead me itrno matter what my height. After all, he could spot passing trains on his radar scope, and he Jmow. 1 couldn*t fly any lowe^« reflections. I^*aoubted^h« could find my blip ^aong the ground We discussed the problma through half a dozen cups of coffee. . John happened to be on duty a few days later as X T**** an approach to lend under clear blue skies with 60 miles visibility, ‘*Say there, Duster Whiskey, when do you want to try that low»-levei radar approach?" "How about right now?" X answered. "But X can see where you are," came the drawling reply, "Give me ten minutes," X countered, opening the throttle and heading for the hills southwest of town. Over the hills I dropped low, out of sight where the radar couldn't follow, then cut hard left for a few miles, caught the Platte River and headed downstream, back toward town, ewattwy feet over the water, "Casper tower. Starduster Qne November Whiskey — �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Mom Well I*m having trouble finding the airport* Thia imaginary ceiling Can you help?" has ise pinned down lew, and X can't see a thing* "Duster Whiskey* We don't have you on the scope. Can you describe the terrain?" "Well, there's some water now and then, seam trees, end a house Just went by*" I stayed low, hidden behind the in­ tervening hills, making John's work as difficult as Z could* The hills flattened, and X could see the tower* That meant the radar could see me* "Duster Whiskey, we have a blip* Give us a slow count to five and back." John was sharp* He had Flight Service all set to put their direction finder on me. Seconds after X finished sy count, John was back on the horn, very natter of fact* "We have a positive identification* Make a left turn to JSe?* X tried, but my compass swung all about* Besides, X was busy dodging houses axMi a radio tower* "Now take a right to degrees." 1 hade a sloppy stab at it, explaining sy^ problem with the compass* John shifted gears, giving me instructions to bear right, then hold heading. His eyes were glued to the tube as he gave final directions. "Bear right more. is Just ahead* Hold your heading. , Runway -Mr Be ready to turn left and land." (OS' �Adventures In a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 5 At twenty feet above the ^ound, all 1 could see ahead was a grass-covered slope. 'Kothl^In sight yet, John. You sure there's a runway around here?” "You'll see It just above the next rise," he answered, and I knew he had moved from the tube to visual, satisfied that he and the radar had performed their proper fuxiction. And there It was, runway 21, right on the numbers. 1 passed over In a turn, swung back, straightened/^and landed. After parking, I climbed the long steps up to the tower and offered my congratulations.. nw ■ si.a«.i ■..I. *** ■■■■ little paper work with the Feds ^ssd one more inspection, and we would be FREEI Z stopped by the local CADO to ask John Montebello for an Immediate inspection. (GADO — that's Gensral Aviation �Adventures in a Biplane District Office. Chapter 5 Norm Weis /viator types are heavily into abbreviationsja^ and W combo Lu(^-ly my stujJ^<*was intarruptd by John’s call to come on back the next day for final inspection, but In the meantime/ he suggest­ ed we get the paperwork out of the vzay. keep up with all the forms reculred. I could never quite John, being the cooperative sort, always kept me up to date and legal. e finally worked our way dovm to the last paper, the Operations limitations, khat one surprised ms. 1 had been flying as if there were no limitations, and novz v/e vzere going to establish wham the plane could or could not do. somewhat negoti^j^ble. maneuvers. 'ihe matter was John wanted to list all the separate I claimed the list would be too long. He vzainted to try anyway, but on the twenty-second maneuver, he ran out of space, gave up and agreed to a simple statement to the effect t07 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis that NliW was allowed all maneuvers except vertical tums^aai^ L . Urr 1 LtLmwu.X...W£i s he inspection the next morning was routine simpler than the pape::^work. much John wanted to know all about the broken exhaust; and the dog hair in the carburator. Is checked vital items with great care, then signed the iirtsorthiness Certi­ (how there'^3 a term that should be abbreviated ficate. The day vzas young, and it was time to taste my new It freedom. I had been planning a particular trip for weeks. wasn't a long jaunt,i but it a-as beyond the old il*mile limit by 30 miles -- enough to stretch the umbilical and snap it properly. The Schiffers and ihsir two children live on a ranch tucked away at the mouth of a deep canyon. The hills rise hun­ dreds of feet on either side of a small flat meadow that fronts the canyon like ahe flare of a trumpet. ;i ~ frequently over the Qosted _on ,■ " 0 I had fished the area iti-p and ms/Tn-jn.-.^casionally Casper for some of their fish (fried; and a check on the plane's progress. They had yet to see the plane fly. I’rom half a mile away I could see Tony walking across the yard. I bored in full throttle and roared overhead at 500 feet. On the turn around I could see Ilaryy the kids, the hired hand^>/*and his youngster^,X^l tumble out to watch. I passed over on knife-edge at^l500 feet, then hammerheaded a �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm v/cis and came over again in a slow roll. A few loops and snaps later, I sidled in at half throttle and minimum altitude/^nd threw out half a dozen candy bars, each with a 6-foot ribbon attached. 'On the return pass I could see the kids clustered about the point of confectioner}' impact. They were looking up, waving the ribbons. I waved back with the wings, waggled the rudder and pointed my ireedora riachine ’ nose for home, feeltnt.good j-nstde. Thoughts of distant travel y world was expanding. ly unfamiliar maps. blossomed into lines drawn on exci recently been intrigued with Steinbeck's laving I'ravels with Charle I couldn’t wait to lay out my own plan for trav ■econd Tliere Steinbeck had driven^ the perimete^-, 1 would fly A A* the heart of^nerica, from coast to coast and border to border. Sweetheart. I would fit; in an aerobatic contest or two, a fishing trip to Northern Saskatchewan/^and maybe a week at ths big airplane extravaganza at Oshljcosh, Wisconsin. Perhaps I could touch the ^^st ^oast at Kitty; Hawk, where the ’..'rights flew. Along the vzay I could trace the paths the old-time mail pilots flew, and maybe make a detour to Death Valley and roll my wheels along its dusty f loo ^J^^?ould be no frantic ef^njct for record, and no .ach jaunt wo for f^be planned loosely to allox-z wAAt.her and change of whi those many dreams, long on the shelf, could now �Chapter 5 Adventures in a Biplane With : econd Sweetheart I could ful- be dusted off and polished. rixl them axl. Norm Weis ijut fxrsty^^ shal<.e-/do\vn cruise was in order. ... «**•< xouth we.s the direction to treveh ^^spring would, b"'' greening the lent^ ---Bh red ‘W.ves and friends in boulder and Colorado Springs, the route of the shakc^dovn cruise was obv'ous. My chute was due for repaci:; so a brief stop along the way at r'U Cheyenne was j.n order* 7 h -a; to t.oulder for an overnight with tw di.stance, dsss anci orothei"”-.n—j.at’ day I could hop the short ' miles. ihe next miles on south to Colorado Springs for an ovemighe with ioike a.nd Suzy herb:,son, long-time backpacking friends, ihe trip back would require one fuel stop at bararaie, the mic0)oint on the route to Casper. ' eather permitting, the miles and five hours’flying time trip would cover jusi over spread over three days -- a lo .surely jaunt. A westerly wind a7as blowing ^knots, gusting to the mom..ng of m^ departure, iiio line ha.ncs held dovzn the vzings as I taxied to runwa.y 21 and facac. ?i_nto the vzind. the wing-xze.Ikers trotted alongside and Second Sweetheart into the then •'hand launched** air even teen minuter s t. Douglas, Wyoming, headed due east at 12, '09 feet a ground speed in excess of 180 mph. sailed over traveling The air was cold at that altitude, but that was the altitude where ■ asper Flight ervice claimed the strongest tail wind would be found. U£> �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 The cockpit heater was full on. Norm Weis My feet were warm, but cold air washed over my left shoulder and curled behind m.y neck. scarves After a lifetime of assuminf^the old-time pilots wore an affectation, T abruptly realizec^it v’as a jap?on^a.ay. I stuffed my handkerchief under the helmet and hunkered ray neck down. Laramie Peak, more than IP,10^ feet high, passed off the right wing as we slovzly changed course to the south. ■ .he\-ennG was faintly visible 10 miles ahead, and Second '"'X'/eetheart vfas running smooth and free. alone. The sky was cloudless and we were £ had forgotten how pleasant crosscountry' flying could be No road to follow, no hass. no press The little plane provided the ultimate 2scrn« from anf u/er compounding life on the surface. Thirty miles out we began the long slope doxvn to the runways of Cheyenne liunicipal iiroort, quartering a bit to cancel the effects of the vest wind^ 'I'^ne ciarey was waiting at the iir National Guard Hangar. We trundled the Sweetheart inside and tucked her under the wing of a gigantic airborne troop carrier. sonnel gathered around. Uniformed per­ She would be in good hands while we drove to Duane’s home for the chute repacking. Stretched out, the chute was nearly fifty feet long. It had been satisfying to pull the ripcord and have the loaded m �Adventure* in a Biplane Norm Wei* Chapter 5 spring tire the pilot chute, out •« proof that Dwane*« earlier peek Job wa* flwrleeeo C^Within half an hour the chute was inspected* re­ folded* cocked like a set trap/^iuid carefully crsasesd back into its corse^like case* Shortly* we were back at the hangar* and with the willing help of fjyoad.ng*s Air National Guard* the plane was rolled out and started up. Takeoff was spectacularly short against the brisk westerly. Climbing out steeply* I waggled a thank^ you to the fellows now lined up across the cavernous mouth of the huge hangar. Along the row* uncountable hands waved back. SBwWr-a-J'Oy' 'to' . The wind died at the Colorado-Wyoming border. We stayed low* dodging the small towns that became more frequent as we sped south along the east shoulder of the Kooky Mountains. Visibility dropped to a few miles as we encountered the northern drift of Denver's smog. Xt surrounded us like a brown sickness* reducing the sun to dirty orange. Ten mile* from Boulder* I tuned the radio to 122.8* the frequency common to uncontrolled airport*. Th* apparently eo^ty sky became filled with pilots crowding the airwave* with intentions to land here* take off ther*/*^ otherwise approach or overfly some particular point. for me to state my plans* so X There was no pause big enough drove in at ground level* spotted the planes in Boulder's traffic pattern* climbed quickly to fill an empty slot/mod followed the leader a landing. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis While waiting for relatives to arrive, I was accosted by a chunky red-tu7—fellow, obviously a pilot type, who wanted to know if the plane ought not to be hangared rather than tied J* .e had his own private hangar,^sort of a 'foam dome that just happened to have a space that needed filling. We traded nsmes*-»his was Mike liyer^then trundled the plane doxm the tax:i^way to the open door of the hangar and into some pretty fancy company. There was a |^itts single place on the right^^^ (kyer’s plane), and a scaled down Sucker on the left/*this wife’s plane), along with two other single-place aircraft parked at each side of the door, iecond Sweetheart was to visit that hangar fre­ quently over the next few years. It was bright and blue the next morning. smog had yet to spread. The Denver My sister and brother-in-law, Jess and Ed Kellenberger, helped ease the plane out of the closely packed hangar. Jess admired the plane and ran her hands over the smooth hH fabric^*^ ji.d, with unlit cigar tucked at one side of his mouth. expressed doubts as to the plane's safety^ Soon off, climbing steeply, waving back to Jess, who was no doubt telling Ed he should have more confidence in his in-laws. Between Boulder and Colorado Springs lies a hazard called the Denver Terminal Control Area. Shaped like an inverted wedding cake smacked down on stapleton International Airport, it offers a haven of control to airliners and other business types, but is pure hell for those flying sport aircraft with //3 �Chapter 5 Adventures in a Biplane minimal radio facilities. Norm Weis It is legal, but a bit tricky to fly the 700»-foot—hlgh gap between the ground and the middle layer of the cake. path. The ground rises frequently, threatening to block the Just west of ' enver that possibility comes perilously close to fact. However, if one’s mental attitude is oroper, it can be fun snuggling up to the foothills of the .ockies, flying the valleys between ridges, detouring around small suburbs/and carefully dodging all the towers with their invisible wires. The cake layer ended just past ..astie .lock, a dozen or so miles south of Denver. Z ’.Tas legal to rise to higher altitude, which was'fortunate, s nee the ground ahead rose almost 'Q ^^^d feet. The higl^.tree-covered area was called the Black TammaEt, and \T7as just north of my destination, Colorado Springs. The lone runx'zay of the Clack Tore st Glider Tort seemed to be jammed up against the southern border of the forest. The runway sloped strongly downhill to the south. .Che slope was not detectable from the air, but luckily a friend had briefed me on the situation. It sceias^ever} one lands to the north, uphill. and takes off south, doxmhill. making sure that i circled the field several times. wasn’t interfering with glider operations, then curved in and landed north, uphill, and of necessity, dovzn ’ dropped by. f — f kittle bipes seldom. A. small crowd gathered around the planed /ne �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis youngster asked to sit in the cockpit, then several more followed in turn, lifted in and out by grinning fathers. Each disappeared down in the depths of the seat, head below the level of the coam­ ing, eyes on a level with the grip on the stick. By the time Mike and Susy Harbison showed up, every youngster within two miles had "flown** Second Sweetheart. * TWri^rbison home is a friendly ccwnfortabTFpIace. | We spent an. eyening rehashing old times, and speculating on / the future|/\e planned the upcomirjg sunmer’s backpack and / slowly jSduced the world's s^^ly oc^in. su^ested we J buiM4>ackpacks foz\^ur dogd^wd let them pack their own chxx^ KfA —■— some of ours. Susy raises Labs, and for years had tried to sell Jay and me one of her pups. Finally, in frustration, she gave us one of her prise pups — one of the smaller ones. ago, and **^ue^^*^w weighed eighty pounds. That was two years Mike's favorite Lab of, the several around the house was a gentle giant named "war.' y Iff they eaasieJ part uf Uw loaiS, Mike had taken Bear along on a recent backpack and was strong on the advantages of four-legged companionship* ^wever, there could be problems — like the one Bear created in the mountains just west of town. I It seems old Bear^spotted a troop of boj^couts coming down the trail and took off to investigate. Mike tried �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis to call him back, hollering "Bear, Bear I" The Jcouts, hearing Mike yelly/'s^ glimpsing the black form through the underbrush, quickly took to the trees, passing on the warning, "bear, bear I" Even the scoutmaster scrambled to safety. In seconds, "Bea^*!^ the friendly Lab, had treed the entire troop! The sky was overcast the following morning. The sun squeezed a few rays through a crack in the eastern clouds and lit the face of the front range briefly. Sparse patches of blue appeared as I auddered laj way iwilli tis ds. battltf^agaJA ""—I tuned in eft layer. empered. affie In Denver Tower as I passed under the was brisk, and the controllei^were short rder, one pilot was told to have his radio Irepaired, anothe go around agal nd a third poor soul, a ! bit slow to de8cd was told to "get Ith^/lt that thing at 7500 eti" clear as you can't land 8 light, andwe smog out of it and in thi passed over Moulder,^till headed\north, Over Fort Collins^ the clouds lifted, somewhat, revealing clear passage over the low pass between thelLaramie and Snowy Ranges. We angled left a bit, heading for the pass and the Town of Laramie .... beyondJ .. — Laramie showed up on schedule, exactly an hour and a half out of Colorado Springs. After a brief contact over the radio, we curled in for a landing and a bit of fuel. She took �Chapter 5 adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis 9.3 gallons, yielding an average miles to the gallon -- cheaper than driving the car! The usuei.1 small crowd had gathered about the plane as it was fueled. 1 stood at the fringe and listened to the comments, swelling immodestly with pride. It’s a strange feeling. All the attention is directed to the plane, and none to its builder. -uc then the plane is beautiful, and <.’m borderline ugly. ven -then I shoulder m\ way to the cockpit with a polite ■’excuse un^^I’m only tolerated. .leluctantly I’m permitted access, and begrudged a share of credit, things change wtien i climb in and strap up. ,iow we are one. Starduster One November hen . talk on the radio I'm hi skeg . ucomc cUi airplai'n:'. nf ;-qv like this I'd rather be an airplane — K- times ~ espectaily s. little red and white biplane! The same win<-2 that helped me at the trip’s onset^,,^^^ now blew from the nose, re.-jucing the ground speed to less than 100 mph. - lowered to a. few feet off the ground to take advantage of the sraall reduction in head wind due to ground friction. effect also offered an advantage. Cround The air seems to compress be­ tween wing and ground, increasing lift and permitting some fo’rward stick to be applied,to offset the tendency to climb., result is extrci speed. '.-.he net Theoretically, ground effect shows up only when the plane is within one wing span/of the ground. 1/9 �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 5 Mens Wils Um near, X would swear that It can be felt as high as^ feet One has to remain owl»eyed for hasards • for the added speed. particularly naxOsade hasards like power lines. Constant sur­ veillance right axid left Is required to spot the poles support Ing wires that way becooe visible too late. 41 though erst low for X suspect X Whatever. ason, eac lar reasons us safe and X like the feel of speedf end ^^■s^ sieplawsr tha 4eei cooMS onl^at lew altitude Kt 100 feet you cm feel It at 50 feet It beeosies thrilling) and at 10 er 20 feet th^ground three iitay» to escape a ^nsiidobw collislont up. Xn a car* rlj^ht, leftZl^ ** ""iy wf - up Is Ssntid. .flying (^^eet e stopr- above the ground at 130 mph In an aircraft Is safer thorny^ 50 mph on the highway^ pwewldsdl one peflf.il> jirtentlnni The Union Pacific tracks moved over to Join our path. Ws flew by rail for a while* navigating by ’’iron compass.'* bed weather, traveling by rail can becosM a necessity. Xn Old-time //0 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Nona Weis nail pilots frequently flew the tracks* always keeping to the right to prevent a head-on collision with the fellow pilot fly­ ing the return route* Stories about the early aixnail service had been in the news for the past few nonths. Xt was the 56th anniversary of Wsstem Air Express* a forerunner of Western Airlines* Ainaail flying had actually begun seven years earlier along the Eastern routes. Of the^^?pilots originally hired* only nine were alive six years later* They called it the "Suicide Club," and Lindbergh was one of its surviving sMs^bers* The job paid $1*000 a month* a fantastic wage for^the tines When o Laramie to / .t*» » th. Ut A««U. UM. enne route* caq>leting the coast to coast run* .1 V' t cut down the transcontinental\ mail en routs time from 24 days "'x 30 hours. Bougies M-2 Biplan wi^e mnployS^* with 415 horsepowsr^liberty engines *^three open kpits* end a noise level that * according tp_ one pilotr^ would ruin ywirlSiXfl^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis In spite of the available space, ^ompany rules for­ bade passengers. Will Rogers promptly broke the rule and set a precedent by mailing himself-- even licked the stamps and plastered them all over himself. I flew along the right side of the tracks; the same tracks the old-timers flew fifty years ago. Our cruising speeds were about the same, and no doubt they also dropped down to near wheel-rolling height to offset the headwinds. Even Second Sweetheart’s color was proper, since all six of the original mailplanes that flew this route were painted red and white. We flew the mail past Bosler, over the siding called Lookout, around Rock River, and headed for Medicine Bow, tilting to knife-edge occasionally for a better view of antelope, rising when power lines demanded, waving dutifully at each train we met. Finally, over Medicine Bow, it was time to end the reverie and head north for Casper. Shirley Mountain passed on the left, and the Laramie Range sidled in on the right. Flat ground was below, so we continued at low level, still fighting the wind. No power lines here--just fences/*and windmills, cattle and thousands of antelope Thirty miles out of Casper, we overtook an old beatf^ up Aeronca plowing along at 80 mph. familiar. iced. The TE on the tail looked We moved in at reduced speed and waited to be not- ShurL , the pilot the expected double^ake, then �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis broke out in Stan Laurel type surprise. ewsagh; Jl was an old rancher-pilot friend-- a fellow named Bob Palmer questionable rancher, but accomplished He signalled 2-2-9” with his fingers, and I turned to 122.9, the plane frequency. plane»-to His transmission arrived loud and clear. "Hi-yah, Nit Wit.” ^e never dignified me or the plane with "November WhiskeyThe insult, however friendly, was meant to include his evaluation of my and^ at the same time, exercise some of the words in his private phonetic alphabet. "F-L” was fruit loop, ”C_C” was Canadian Club, ”R_T” became Rat Trap and ”R_S” was unprintable. dp91 gngfi ?no- -. — inL puL ftAiaota of ralffLiLf's The NINW on Second Sweetheart's fuselage had always meant "Number One Nit Wit” to Palmer. "Hello Plumber. How's your conduct?" n r i n n 11L Mi ypro- true friend ever called Palmer by his right name--he would have been insulted. "Impeccably," he replied. "I see that two-winged excuse for an airplane is still chewing up perfectly good air." "Yeah, and chewing it about ^5^miles faster than some slow«-flying antique air knockers I've met." Before he could answer, I pushed in full throttle and moved ahead in a long slow aileron roll. parting shot. As the wings leveled, I keyed in a "Eat your heart out^Plumber." �. dventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis Shortlj^we began the decent into Casper. Ikiddy Mountain slid by a few hundred feet below as I made contact with the tower. The trip vjas nearly over. Everything about the shake doim cruise had been enjoyable --- not a single problem had arisen 1 ~ L . .1*1 fuel up and head out on a longer journey, but v.nere \7Gre plans to be ma.de and duties to be performed. /he last weeks of the semester must be finished uo, �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 6 The morning sun paled as lowering clouds enveloped Second "weethea.rt in shadovz. 'he cockpit became suddenly cold. A tug on the heat control brought the temperature back to reason­ able comfort, but did little to improve the .a.ominous view ahead. A solid layer of grav rode above, rasd .— indistinct horizon. -.A.,—to an Casper, nov? fifty miles behind, still en­ joyed the sun on this uncertain day, the '’'’nd of ; ay Small^ 'd , ___ i ________ - . ceiling^ fe-i.L . oon they mnlt • n’b'-d t? form a new stratC^ forcing JW C. diifcia. j'i-jjn^'to dror^ to ground level. The bottom of the cloud layer was^yfdO feet above sea level, but the ground itself was '^OTO feet and rising, claiming more and more of my S^'O feet of airsnacc. The Tuzzard Lanch materialized just over thiy^nose. A gentle bank, and the buildings passed to the left,, only slightly below. A ranch hand on horseback leaned back, one hand on the horse’s rump. >n.s head sizivelffi^as I passed. Thcad, the approach to the pass betvzeen the Ferris and Seminoe Xo’J’^tains was cut short ^w/b^e ground rose to make contact with clouds. a discretionary' SJ" ylu-y. The lone rider s*>‘<» It was time for * waved, and I knew his thoughts — what’s that dammed fool up to, flying in this weather? I wiggled yzing-"SpitO' of tlis-jinoul'fe', fev -I appi'EclaLitd hig noti oe .^**F.[f I failed to shovz �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter Norm Weis up at my destination, he might.contribute a clue to my whereabouts. Rock Springs, Wyoming was thexdestination listed on my flight plan. The intended route was- by way of Ferris, an old town that I wanted to view from overhead.*^ With the pass blocked, the side trip to Ferris was* cancelled. be unreachable. Perhaps Rock Springs might also With thousands of miles ahead, I was in trouble in the first hundred. I'fc--?m9-eR-«nfaBpress4r<^e-4jegiiuiing. I wondered if ny plari^to fly from coast to coast and border to border — realistic. Flying in the sharp wedge between cloud and rising ground would ordinarily be unsettling, but this was familiar territory. Soon the Sweetwater River appeared, and shortly the rounddd top of the pioneer landmark/^dependence Rock/^ssed below. A left turn. and I was above the highway heading south. The ceiling had risen to a luxurious 800 feety^i^^e west edge of Ferris Mountain curved behind. The clouds ahead were alive and changing^ ^Xurbulent air^^»^»^eneath. Brighter skies to the left invited a change in destination. On the third call, Rawlins Flight Service answered. "Skymaster - ah, ah — one - ah - Whiskey, say your position again." "Rawlins Radio, this is ST^RW^TER One November Whiskey, five south Lamont. What is your weather?" "Ah, Skymaster One November Whiskey, we have lyOOO feet and lies, rain in western quadrant." "Okay, I’ll come on in. Looks bad over toward Rock �I 'T'^ 1^3^/eeji ^*-6 Lt P'^c^C^ — l-f <s <ff' ^.u^ts'-^/' r <— * h^ ■b — "^Pf>fx:^ -tP^ ■ ■ *■ «fl5^ /ic lilSiil&’Wii iW- �Adventures in a Biplane Springs. Norm Weis Chapter 5 Change my flight plan to your destination, please, and —------------- ------ — ah — that' s STARDUSTT'T. as in biplane." Twenty minutes later, with a second radio contact, I received the altimeter setting, wind direction/’^d a caution, "We have had antelope on the runway. Be advised of the hazard." Twenty: or so antelope stood beside the approach end The of the runway, well-behaved and undisturbed by the intrusion. left wheel touched gently, and immediately the right. Tail high. Second Sweetheart rolled straight and true down the blacktop run­ way. A left turn and the engine wound to a stop as the plane coasted to position beside the gas pump. on the ramp. There wasn’t a soul There never is when you greaSBit in. The flight had lasted exactly one hour and had con­ sumed 6.4 gallons of gas. to the gallon. It figured out to be nearly 20 miles The tank held 22.5 gallons. hour, I could stay up for nearly 3^ hours. At 6.4 gallons per At 120 mph, the little biplane could go an impressive 400 miles, a range in excess of my kidney capacity Theyjf light service reporte^ the weather to the west was deteriorating. Rock Springs had rain in all quadrants. To the south. Grand Junction, Colored^had unlimited ceilings with scattered clouds. South was the only choice. The Sierra Madres of ^uthern Wyoming occupied the left horizon. Scattered showers stretched out along the intended f �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis path, a minor irritation to be endured in pursuit of "sunny” Grand Junction — but there was more enduring than planned. The scattered showers merged to a general, inescapable light rain. Threads of water streamed across the fabric of Second Sweetheart's wings and trailed off in spray on each aileron. Rivulets formed on the windshield and crawled up to be blown away in the prop wash. A few drops curled inward to run down the inside surface of the windshield and drop on my hand hold­ ing the stick. About one drop every twenty seconds — not bad for an open cockpit, I figured. ———■ I dropped >fco 200 feet and took a compass course southwest to ihterc^ipt the highway south. A quick bit of map work showed anx^^ir^ercept distance of yO mMfes, or 15 minutes. Sure is nj.^ to cnnsse at 120. The Iz^hway showed up on time, aad—elie drip on my hanoXslowed t^nalf rate. A sure sign of ------- - improving weather. Over Craig, Colorado, the rain ceased and the sun showed faintly through the thinning overcast. I passed over a statioiji^wgon going the same direction but at half the speed, gave a few quick wiggles of the rudder/^'^d zoomed to a dizzying 300 feet. Suddenly it was bright. Sunshine warmed my shoulder. The open cockpit let me feel its full effect. It was more than a fair trade/^casional raindrops for undiluted, heartwarming sunshine. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis Hills rose on my right and left. and our cruise altitude rose to match. washed air was defined. . They grew in size, Visibility in the rain- Mountain crests/70jmiles away were sharply A deep canyon joined our path, opened up and offered a gentle, everwwidening approach to the single runway just east of Meeker, Colorado. VTiile refuej-WHf at Meeker, a pilot who had just arrived from Grand Junction offered a disappointing description of the weather. He had come up the Colorado River Canyon V.F.R. (visual fight rules) and had nearly given up and refiled I.F.R. (instrument flight rules) several times. He had squeaked under several thunderstorms that had since matured behind him, closing the canyon. I waited an hour for the storms^o clear, then headed toward the canyon, full of determination, miles south of town, the mouth of the canyon was obscured by a white curtain of rain. The route southwest, over high lands cut by deep canyons, seemed to be the safer path. than^O^iles. The straight line distance was less I headed across the rough country counting on zO/ninutes of worry before the ground would lower and flatten. The sky was a cold electric blue, shot with thousands of small puffy clouds. To my right, the clouds diminished and became widely scattered, offering escape routey. aread ahead, clouds threatened the heights I had to clear. Dodging right and �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis left, pursuing the open path, I wa^^ble to squeeze over the^</^*^^ from ridge to valley^ovwgat sudden changes ridges. I In altitude, height above the ground we«tld44^«/*' /lying level, Chang A** Rapidly from 50 feet to 1,500 feet. Faint stirrings of the gut marked the return of issy Inslplent fear of heights -** a fear Utttfe le so strong that waleee the thought of mountain '"''^mHrF,** '^euffc for n^rhtmnrrn ground Is ple^ureabl-e. Oddly, aliitfude over reasonable/ j^er rough countiy only defense Is greater altitude, nnfrhy wa an Increased glide distance In case of engine failure. But here tha£^p^u!o^*^a8 denied. The clouds hung tenaciously, «to"^aeet a few hxmdred feet over the canyon rims. J Twenty minutes later,>the hoped-for flat country hadyifailed to appeal^ Mere ridges stretched'out Tka cnry*»/»«- 5TffUlfirf irctg ?bvlftMF^y *•" muMi- te-±hf horiiow, my ii.i.li — inr>r/.r.»r4m.«iy hoTding to the right, toward the lesser cloud cover, xhe compass xcadlng confirmed the susplclox /f kick of the rudder, .4Mftd-£he noseyswun^ to a new more souther 1; heading^*^en minutes later the flats of what had to be the Grand River Vai ley 4rer!r^e low. four-lane highway reach4ft^n from the left and Swashed below, ^ar the ^ghway, a railroad axid river sewpeiHH^t^ their way southwest In nearly perfect syn' chrony. wag nn My detou^ put me well north of Grand Junction. •, There "them Miiyway. * �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis According to the air map, the highway below would turn vjest and lead me directly to the small airport at Green River, Utah. feet too ing H-i a i F-; mnv<a^ -Fnll—nf rp sadete.*A slight side pressure on the stick and we were standing on a wing tip, then rolling and slicing down inverted. The plane stood momentarily on the opposite wing, then continuedy^nd rolled level in a mild dive. Slight back pressure had kept the g’s positive, and the luggage had remained on the floorboards. The speed reached 160 mph and the wires began to sing. sound and feel were intoxicating. The Up we went, climbing sharply, then rolling slowly, the nose dropping, leveling again at normal cruise, then up and around again. the second roll, or the third. Second Sweetheart I can’t recall instigating Like a bird given freedom, cut ne\^ unexpected lines through the sky. I felt like a passenger — a delighted surprised passenger privi­ leged to be in company with such a rare spirit. about g’s, negative or positive. The luggage rose off the floor and lodged under the crook of my knee. my left hand. She cared little I held it in place with Lty right was still on the stick, but only passively. �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 6 I felt out her moves as Second Sweetheart curved through one more wide, weightless, falling roll. The altitude was gone. flight and normal relationship. We returned to normal I was still the pilot, right Now let’s settle down before I get into trouble with the T.A.A. little vegetation below. reds, tans, and a mix of wa col beautiful at nset, but now it was noon the Utah landscape a hostile look The earth was SixmsX' It would be Ahead, a double line of trees drew a green curve* p>n thQ- broTim lawdt The trees lined both banks of the river called ^Green. The small towns of Green River and Elgin occupied opposite banks. Green River, the larger of the two, was much like a miniature railroad layout. Main Street, the airport, the highwaythe railroad were crowded into unnecessarily close quarters. Main Street seemed to meld, lose its buildings/“^d become the east-west runway. The tracks of the railroad moved over and closely paralleled the air strip. As if on order, ,a train approached as I patterned for a landing. The engineer waved from the cab as I taxied back. I raised an arm and returned the salute. Ah, the joys of an open cockpit. The east end of the strip was connected to the hangar area by a curving^down-sloping ramp. I cut the engine and coasted quietly down the hundred yards or so to the gas pump. The usual small crowd gathered as I unbuckled, ASir(3q �''dventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 6 I could see lips moving but could not catch the words. It's awkward being half deaf from the noise of the engine while confronted with a of rapid-fire questions. I faked it a little, since the questions always seemed to follow the same pattern. "It's a Starduster. Nope, it's not a Pitts. About My hearing began its return as I dismounted and attached the pitot tube cover. A man confronted me with an astonished look. "You serious? It lands at Sorry, I'm a little deaf right now. it CRUISES 4 stalls about (toCy He looked relieved. Two youngsters, on tiptoe, leaned into the cockpit from opposite sides. One was explaining features to the other. Their heads bbbbed in and out. a small controversy developed. One of them looked in my direction. aint' it? "That is too a parachute, He says it's just seat cushions." The last comment was directed face to face across the cockpit. f-iy explanation that it served both purposes made them both feel like experts. They continued their inspection, the conversation less one*-sided now. A car skidded to a stop. Half a dozen teenagers piled out and trotted over to the plane. what is it, a Pitts?" Boy, sure is purdy — �Adventures in a Biplane ’’Nope, Norm Weis Chapter 6 and I point my eyes toward the cow^ where it says "STARDUSTER" in large white letters. "It's a Starduster.’ Boy, single place, huh?" Yup.” "Well, one thing sure. You ain't never gonna get hijacked." The oil was checked and the tanks filled. cided to for^o lunch and continue on my way. I de­ It was only 12:30 and Las Vegas was just gwo gas stops away. Ten minutes later I was not so positive about the destination. The horizon had again filled with thunderstorms. It appeared that a route Virga hung from their flat undersides. could be found between the hairy extensions of rain. I aimed the nose toward the area of least rain, but lightning immediately flashed from cloud to ground dead ahead. new heading straight west put me on a course for Richfield, but more storm cells blocked the path. The lightning found new intensity as To the north, storms formed a solid black trc’ I made the third Z-jywy of the day and headed the sky darkened. ominous wall. back for Green River. That line of thunderstorms could wr^^ its havoc without me. Every ^ilot'?I^^^^^perienc^)has found his own severe storm. For most, it is the last, for to survive is to learn never to re-enter arena. My violent lesson was dealt me one summer day back in the late forties. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis I was flying charter out of Park Rapids, Minnesota, headed for Minneapolis. The local beauty queen and a business­ man were in the rear seat of the three-place Super Cruiser. tahEOff was a precursor of events to come. The A suitcase placed in front of the stici^ j iggled back on tak<^off and caught against a metal floorboard plate. plac^ /The i , - LX'.--" breaking position. suitcase^ locked firmly in The suitcase . wp q i 1 n its rearward, ground oxiuiuuLi au/mpLiy. I could not free the Forward speed deteriorated and a stall was immiment. I cranked in all ^e nose down trim available, and the speed held at a sha^y It held long enough for me to jam the suitcase forward with both feet. nothing. If the passengers noticed, they said The businessman was enjoying his seat beside the queen, and she was busy being thrilled by her first flight. Midway in the flight I was forced down to 500 feet in order to pass under a ragged line of clouds, the sort of line often seen under maturing thunderstorms. But here there was no apparent storm, nothing to spavm such a line. We passed be­ neath the clouds and experienced only mild turbulence. With passengers delivered and the plane refueled, I headed back along the same route. Minneapolis radio claimed the weather was fair, and furthermore,J: there should be a tail wind at 6,000 feet. The tail wind wasn't there-*1 sat back and resigned myself to a slow return flight, wondering if that 133 �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 6 line of clouds would still be hanging over the lakes near Brainerd. The line had moved and grown darker, but it still looked innocent. It had been safe an hour and a half before, and izould surely still be passably now, and there was lovrto the ground some vertical motion^ ftppnrnnt-" I proceeded beneath with a confidence bom of ignorance. .. / , All hell broke loosed^^vere turbulence tfe»ow me aboutA I took a quick yank on the seat belt and reduced throttle to ease the strain on the aircraft. At an indicated 70 mph, the bumps were still severe and seemed to be worsening. The seat belt bit into my hips on each rapid drop, and my chin sagged to my chest on the returns. side. At times the plane was rolled on its Full opposite control seemed to have no effect. The Cruiser would recover eventually from each half roll only to whip violently in the opposite direction. The trees belo\^7 were waving like grain, and the wings of the poor old Cruiser were flexing up and down, pivoting on the stmt attach points, mhving nearly a foot at the tips. strong regret, secondary. with a rush. I knew the plane was lost and felt ^e fact that I was lost with it seemed quite I continued to fight the controls. Heavy rain came The windshield became a blur, and water flowed through the cockpit in small rivers. ground bfegsL-T”!..!— 1 -Lcuit. Visual contact with the I dropped lower, fighting to maintain /3^ �dventures in a Biplane control. Chapter 6 Norm Weis Suddenly the air smoothe<i.*’ I realized I *ircn ■malv.ijljh; .—^go.-co o.nH grew vo —__—,,;. ikui 'tirge.i tn.. iondw ^ut the trees formed a solid, frustrating barrier. I was^^lying in a I gree crab. bnd pn imr.nn!-.r My air speed was .e rtrndy and ,ifrftft"G£ feuc'Eiulunofc now must have been roughly the same velocity, in the trees field, and another. a plowed The second field was in line with the wind, and long enough for a landing. I headed for it. There was no mistaking the wind direction, for it was kiting the plane side­ ways. All I needed was to turn into it and set down on that inviting smooth brown surface, much too fast. I touched and rolled, but I was A fence loomed ahead. I jammed throttl€^arid went around for another try, slower this time. 'Ihe plane touched, slowed/'*^nd came to a stop. The ground was soft and had a slippery liquid feel. The wind was still blowing dangerously, well over the minimum flying speed of the Cruiser. I held half throttle, and with brakes hard on, flew it tattxough each gust, tail high and stationary, locked in contact with the ground. Occasionally a wing would lift and a wheel threaten to leave the ground, retiuiring quick stick movements to hold position. M ten minutes the wind slackened. air speed indicator. I thought to look at the It would now be acting as an anemometer. lowly the rain eased, the wind �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis diminished/ and the tail lowered to the ground <>Now I could look around. cultivated field. I had landed in a freshly- Small green shoots of wheats oa. pe-fhaps cjll» lay flat, battered to the ground by wind and rain. It was going to be difficult to take off fromsea of mud. I was too close to the fence to risk a straigh^^away departure, and the wind was still too strong to taxi. If I timed it right, I taxi to the down wind end of the field as the wind let up, then get off quickly before it died out altogether. I gambled on a turn to a downwind heading, pray­ ing that careful manipulation of the aileron would hold the wind ward wing from rising. The wing lifted alarmingly, but finally we were around, facing dowii wind, stick liard forward. It took half throttle to move in the mud in spite of the following wind. At the far end of the field I turned for take off, taking the same precautions with the ailerons. as the plane faced into the wind. speed. Wide open, we slowly gained Mud flew from the wheels and clattered on the wing under surfaces. I eased back on the stick. then sagged and slowed. wheels. The tail rose She lifted slightly, A bump, and some mud dropped from the The plane lifted, then touched again. stick forward, bouncing hard. I jammed the Mud flew off the wheels and we �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter bounced clear of the ground. She was flying, staggering with stick full back, but slowly gaining speed. A fence, a gravel road, and a second fence were immediately ahead. We cleared the first fence, bounced on the road<'*'^d were finally airborne. a farnChouse to the left. A man stood in the open door. There was I slanted my wing toward him, hoping he could not read the large niimbers printed there. The wind lessened, then died completely as I flew the remainIng miles to Park Rapids. behind. Tall clouds formed a half circle The trees below were unmoving in the newly calmed air.^^ It was as if nothing had happened. boss had been worried. I was an hour late and the I explained the delay, playing it down as much as possible, not ready to admit to the full fright I had ex­ perienced. "Sure glad you weren’t on the ground at Minneapolis. Just heard over the rddio that a cyclone hit." My God. I had flown through a A dry land It had grown to size and died, with Park Rapids all the while within its calm eye. "Wiped out more than a hundred aircraft — Sure glad / to see you." A ejipfained the mess tdie i/tud had made o£ the plauLT Thia bnco undcrfftnn—He liad bi storm the year baforo. Thirty years had not erased the memory nor dimmed the lesson of that storm. The prospect of a similar encounter hastened �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter Norm Weis my retreat from the wall of thunder storms in ^ntral Utah. At mic^aoxning the next day the skies were clear, the wind was calm/ and I was lost. Escalante should be right there. The map on my knee showed the location clearly, and my watch said I had traveled long enough to have covered the distance. But there was nothing below except dry washes and eroded hills. Not even a road to follow or use as an emergency landing strip! The map had not agreed with the land since Hanksville The Bouller Mountains were luldnLt poss somewh] be lost. Escalante was ysimply misplaced. There had been a reflection off to the right a few miles back, tucked away in a notch at the foot of the mountains, but that had to be the small town of Boulder. Escalante, on the map at least, was on a flat in front of the slopes, with a river running through it heading east, cutting across my course. There had been no sign of a river, so 1 continued, confident even though the gas gauge was bouncing on the short side of the half way makk. Twenty minutes later there was still no river. recognizable had appeared below. Nothing The gas level had dropped to the qxiarter mark and the engine was sounding rough. The little Lycom­ ing didn't take kindly to the economy measures of lean mixture and low r^p.m.'s. I bent Starduster Whiskey around and took a course back to that small reflection in the notch. available, and it was time to start grabbing. It was the only straw �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter Norm Weis Starduster Whiskey's gas gauge is like the small tube that stands alongQside most large coffee urns. Such gauges are very accurate and quite foolproof as long as no one shakes the Bumpy air was sending the gas level up and down from ona**-^^ um. quarter to less than empty. Whatever happened to that three hour range I had relied on? I had been airborne just two hours and the tank was nearly dry! I must have failed to fill the tank at Green River. Perhaps the gas spit back prematurely and the tank was assumed full. The gas in the tube leveled momentarily at the top of the letter "E" as I turned toward drcid □.lirrtrL motmtain»»>ifch feha iraflee The reflection grew to a building. The buildings multiplsed and resolved into a town, complete with an airport that had "ESCALANTE" painted on its runway in large orange letters! approached high and straight in. The 22^ gallon tank took 21 gallons to fill. x?) I 2^ is 120 miles from Escalante to St. George, measured along a straight line, welcome. short leg with plenty of gas reserve was The air was warm, and I climbed to a comfortable 10,000 <hhe mimdaTiA. —Ea-nm 10. )00 feet, the p^nk riiffc of Pryo "vlTrcyed from the ground k dig- . �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter yatuieri The ail njnnn-,x.n«- and I ratfcMiLiLi.i.1 apmaid hn tbn *ihe mountains on the right lost their sharpness and sank into the flattening earth. pied seemingly flat valleys. was the exception. Small streams occu­ The /ast ?^rk of the Virgin River It flowed nearly straight west at this point to pass eventually through the southern portion of Zioiy , I followed the river to the ^ark border, then swung north over the mountains to intercept the ^rth Jf^rk of the Virgin River as it began its spectacular descent through the^^rk’s most impressive canyon. From 12,000 feet, Zion was simply a bad case of ero- sion. From 10,000 it was a canyon, and at 8,000 it was a CANYON! We lowered, and the canyon walls rose and enclosed us. Water flowed straight toward the plane from breaks in the wall, then droppeddin lat^y fronds to the canyon floor. move. I circled, then regretted the People below were viewing the same beauty and would not appreciate our presence. I headed down the canyon, camera in hand. Biplanes are not built for aerial photography. is always a wing in the way. able. There No clear view to the ground is avail­ I spent a lot of time on wing tip, holding course with rudder in wild knife-edged slips. Air poured through the cockpit from the wrong direction, and the altitude slipped away. I tried shooting through the windshield, over the windshield, and even clicked off a few exposures with the camera over my head aiming backward. Perhaps inverted, shooting down, which would be up, �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter would be the best. Norm Weis In a biplane, the ways to waste film are limitless. St. George unicorn answered on the first call. There was no traffic, and the wind was calm. The strip occupied the flat top of a mesa at the edge of town. I entered high on the downwind leg, passed over the business district and curved sharply down in a slipping turn, straightened and flared over the numbers. Eight gallons of gas, a quart of oil, two cups of coffeeL<v-*^ and we were in the air again. Soon the rough country southwest of St. George gave way to the broad valleys of the Virgin River, only to change again as desert took over the land. A dozen or so miles out of Las Vegas, the highway curved past a small.dry lake. A small group of partially collapsed build­ ings huddled at the lake's perimeter. I swung down to investigate, and at an altitude of 300 feet the United States Air Force caught up with me. ^JTko delta-shaped shadows, sharply defined, raced over the ground directly below. aircraft responsible. jets. I swiveled ny head to locate the two From their shape and speed, they had to be I resented the unfairness of the matchy their 600 mph against my 120| their radar against my bifocaled eyesight. I checked qqt own shadow and found it to be less distinct than that of the jets. Those rascals had passed between me and the grovind! J had been skylighted all the while. game. Well! Two could play that I promptly lowered to six feet off the dry lake. ’’Get /w �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter under that!" I yelled. I scanned the skies waiting for their return pass, figuring to let them close in, then make a tight They wouldn't have a chance of following. 6 g avoiding turn. They would be out there five miles, skidding, trying to warp their big machines around for another pass. They didn't know it yet, but the little biplane and I could carry out formidable eva­ We hdd the moves, and no modem day Red Baron was sive action. sights. going to get ■^mehow tbpy spngpd tbnt- T bnH fn-i- bUry failed bn tw«»v^ u jueuiiG yagb.^ I rose to twenty feet and took a quick look at oy map. 1 had trespassed five miles inside the Nellis Air Force Base Alert Are^ fact^ those long blacktop strips three miles off had to be the runways of Nellis. grief! Good Two more jets were rolling down the xrunway headed in my direction. Were these guys serious? would take more than four. where we were going. Four against one! Well, it An entire squadron couldn't catch us banked the Sweetheart hard to the left and ducked behind a low knob. A moment later, clear of the knob, I stole a quick look toward Nellis. The two jets were closing, their knife-edged wings parallel and low to the ground. I headed down the nearest dry wash full-bore, banking at each bend, wing tips within feet of the sides, the entire aircraft frequently be­ low ground level. 1 scooted for the boundairy and the shores of Lake Mead, telling myself it was all in fun, yet feeling melon patch fear chase up my spine. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm ' feis I climbed to -m Luucreaiiu feet over Lake Mead, well out of the alert area, and reconsidered the encounter. The first pass was obviously intentional^*^ ^robabl)^ two bored jet jockeys out to scare the guy in the little red biplane, ^^e scramble of a second pair a<*^' have'been coincidental, ..—Ik-vs-’' a both been the practice intercept target for the day. sides of the dry lake air battle learned a lesson. They learned that a jet can’t catch a little biplane at the bottom of a crooked dry wash, and I learned to stay the hell out of their area noover Dam, viewed from above, as frightening. The web of power lines and metal towers seemed/to reach out to snare the unwary Notting was horizontal. cannon sides were T hills, the dam, the 11 near the vertic Lake Mead with its flat blu2 surface offered\the only exception I flew west from the dam fo lowing the shorelin A large crowd\liXed the beach. shallow water, some pointed t ir stems. utward, exhaust plumes rising from Vhite w^Kes sud<\nly reached out from the shore a d curved to align^fent as a doze boats raced toward a bouy s id around, and/Tieaded straight for razily, corrected, then flipped over he next. One of them tiltdd [oflowing boats bent away and thfeir wakes died as the race came boat se Numerous boats sat i o a halt. A rescue out To save the day. Second Sweetheart and I roared around the course full bore at 500 feet. Three laps and the race was won /^3 �Chapter 6 Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis t®nptj^Z><<i to add a vic^ry ro"■ ■***‘ It was cool and calm at the Boulder City Airport when I arose the next morning. I rolled up my sleeping bag, stuffed it in the baggage compartment behind the headrest, untied the wings/and checked the tail rope to see that it was still tied securely. Two shots of prime, a dozen dry pulls on y the prop/*^3.nd she was ready. ■ e»iyn< I <»</ /ft /iffJ Ceg> on‘boti-^ 1 stood between wing and pro^/*^^ one downward stroke the engine fired and settled into a confident chucke. If there had been a crovjaround, I’d probably have climbed in the cockpit, run the stick up my pant leg, strapped inyA^d attempted to taxi away with the tail stillv^ J/**f securely tied down. Ml***?/ But there was no one about, 1.untied the tail, climbed in and ran the stick up my paftlleg. It was surprisingly hilly west of Las Vegas. The ground climbed rapidly, but in the cool air/*^cond Sweetheart’s rate of climb, nearly 2,000 feet per minute, let us top the Spring Mountains effortlessly. r>f- *>J-0 00 0w« the Pahrump Vail ay. t.hc. gmuLid' high---------------------------------V 11,^ X continued west, threading the gap in the Nopahs, cutting across desolate country to a patch of green that had to be the town of Shoshone. gasoline. There was an airport at this town, but reportedly no straight down the runway regardless. I was filin^||^|(5^ man’s flight plan. I passed down the strip at ground level, then rose normally at the north end, passed over �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 5 Norm Weis Shoshone’s small business district, made a turn in the intended . t direction, then flew a straight course out. i nad not filed an official flight plan^ and had no ' intention of doing so. ‘ -Fri'ilnT.T o p-j ec u p i Li. I igjdp att-rarki.".no onhictf. ma. denie^ too many pleasure^ ? t 'L. . ii.n.md it> "‘’‘-'■-c'yc too mrny j,r fo file a flight plan would have I could not tolerate the loss of free­ dom. ^J^iat doesn’t mean that second Sweetheart and I were unprepared. In the otherwise empty wing tank compartments were three gallons of water, two days’ worth of dry food, a floppy hat, pack sack, compass, matchesa couple of paperback books. Beside me, in small compartments on either side of the seat, were the miniature smoke bombs, flares/*^d an unbreakable signaling mirror. The last was most important, and I was well checked out Many pilots, I suspected, carried such an item with on its use. little idea of its use effectiveness. It was a simple matter of looking through the hole in the middle and turning the mirror until the sun’s reflection struck your outstretched finger while that finger was held in line with a would-be rescuer. Five minutes west of Shoshone, I intercepted a black­ top road as it topped a low pass overlooking the south end of Death Valley. It meandered down and I followed, imitating each turn in an exercise efi coordination. I broke abruptly into the open. it 'The Monument. ’ The hills fell away, and Death Valley! The locals call Flat, hot, lonesome and seemingly endless^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis it stretched north, disappearing in waves of heat. I wanted to travel its full eighty-mile length and return by way of the paralleling f:^anamint Valley, but the added distance would press on my fuel reserve. I headed north up the center of the Valley, searching for its lowest point, cruising at an altitude of ten feet. altitude was unnecessary, for I could land anyvdiere. road beneath me offered a temptation. More The gravel I Carrying 1800 eased down, the wheels touched briefly and a cloud of dust boiled behind. Again, and I turned to admire the rooster tail. pickup was parked alongside the road ahead. little deviation, I continued with filing another flight plan, FAA regulations in the process. ? and bending the I rolled the wheels again and slowed a bit, considering a full stop landing, then decided to settle for a touch and go. Just ahead the road divided. read ’’Ballarat. ’ A sign on the left fork Only short messages on such small signs could be assimilated at this speed. The map had this spot marked at -225, or 225 feet below sea level. Fifteen miles ahead was the lowest point in the continent, 282 feet below the sea. The / I felew e-looe I'-iliww for wet spots. If the country were to spring a leak, it would show up somexvhere nearby. I'l nnj ""hi hbn At the low point, I^v* rippr-, g ‘ ■?p. water — jUSt �AdventiiYet In a Biplane Chapter 6 more barren eedinentary slopes* None Weis I happily concluded.the .the country was sound and in no danger of sinking* The fuel gauge bounced a warning* ria and headed /outhwest, n X climbed ever the v* '*~**'*T^iiwn^***’ f a snail ridge* It looked beautiful •« its beauty i hope of fuel for Sec< told ne there was available* yi could either. t for the tank truck due Inyokern was 30 ailes west but the Chine Lake Air Base and its surrounding restricted area 35 minutes* worth of gas — more if a head wind developed* I had started with full taziks and had been airborne for 2*3 hours* X 45 jainutes* should have *7 or *8 hours left — aboutf45 X climbed out at 2150 rpm, fuel mixture leaned to the uaxlaMB* Ten miles ou^ the fuel level still rode above the **!•** X had been this route before* "Inyokern Unicom* Starduster One November Whiskey, ten southeast* answer. Nay X have an advisory?" No X gave the transmitter a few taps* "Inyokern Unicom, Starduster Whiskey* do you read?" "Starduster Whiskey* this is Oh Five One* Can X help?" "OH Five One* Duster Whiskey here* for an airport^directive and a little fuel*" X*m Just looking �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis I refueled there ’’Starduster Whiskey, Oh Five One. earlier. They didn’t answer then either.” "Thanks. Where are you talking from?” "I’m over the Monument, about eighty northeast of you. Just wanted you to know your problem Your transmission is good. is not in your equipment.” Nice guy. 1 wondered what Oh Five One looked like. I would like to meet him. rode She ”E” as the wheels con­ The fuel level tacted the runway at Inyokern. ^Shortlj^we were fat with gas and coffee and in the air again, gp”*-** iBM-rked fay occasion*'' r‘^iim<nsii-r- The peak north of Carlock was listed on the map as ^244 feet. Since I had failed to set nqr altimeter at the last stop, I pulled alongside, leveled the peak with the horizony^nd adjusted the altimeter to ^244. ,F |I 11 T J-...: ■<— r A quick stop at Mojave, and 1 was off again* lodging restricted area No. R-2515 surrounding Edwards Air Force Bas^ e~axrpa wee restrirred at all alticud«i> all"tiie Llme> unleee»^B<» wsien was arantejUMt.. the 1nr«l-Hfty'~(TlIiSt"Ser^cn fltabion)^ ptChL Jury 111 fsPt'* t*' "nsrrsr mgr call and I hob tmnptsd dewn-flHd'mL across.—Tha thnught of my blip showing mi gone frfhEar;) ptltrt’f ?r-biTaffd radar datieiTed ms. I flav arniTn^ ♦•hii TsstilLtaii skirted the iniind shoulder bf the San Gabriel Mountains* then headed straight for Redlands* California. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis The sky over^San Bernardino Valley was a sea of white; solid, fluffy, beautiful, impenetrable white. Somewhere beneath was Redlands Airport and Lou Stolp, the designer of the Starduster I circled over Arrowhead Lake in flawless sunshine, aircraft. frustrated at my inability to drop through the overcast. I very much wanted to meet Lou Stolp and ask a few questions about the Starduster named ’Second Sweetheart ,*'**our mutual creation. The man at Hisperia Air i'ark served a good sandwich, 'You just fly down the highway. and was full of confidence. all do it. of 'em. Look out for those wires, though. Never see the wires. We Two or three sets Look for the towers. I called the area Flight Service on the telephone. They were helpful, but annoyed with questions about a phenomenon that was for them a daily, monotonous occurence. on the gauges. Just drop through uw feet and several miles underneath. We have I disilaimed ownership of any such gauges. \>/hat aircraft are you flying?” At the mention of the name *^arduster,***the agent suddenly became friendly. Tell you what you do. one thirty; then head down the highway. ing by then. Wait until Smog ought to be lift­ Look out for the transmission lines though. At one thirty I was off to do battle with the smog and the local utility company. mess and disappeared. The highway ahead dove into the With the map on my knee and my finger inch­ ing along, tracking my progress, I penetrated the smog. The world shrank to a hemisphere two miles in diameter|J)t4^moved with me. 1^3 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter revealing its secrets grudgingly. Norm Weis Faint images became towers and I climbed until the view below lost clarity in the haze. The world became smaller, a mir^scule circle of dim visibility, moving at equal speed, remaining precisely below. The road descended. followed, and the visibility improved. The world grew to a huge six mile diameter. I At 1,200 feet over the surface I followed a railroad south, -took a left at the first airport and paralleled a four—lane highway east, M‘K*opped lower and worried a lot a^A I passed^throug^the approach to Norton Air Force Base’s longest runway. b^rfiked Sweetheart constantly \roin^ide to side to in- crease the sl\e of our image. From th^zdTrnnt or side the little bip^MTO is difficttl^to spot. past the Norton approach I M gave tny full attention to the terrain passing under the left wing^ Redlands east-west runway emerged on schedule, and after a brief iirn i D»'L the Intuit a I curved in on close pattern and landed. From the grin on his face, as broad as the biplane grin that afflicts me when I strap up, I knew the man approach­ ing was Lou Stolp. ’’Nice landing.” ’’Thanks. It’s a nice airplane.” He inspected the plane as it was fueled. missing from the right wheel pant. and we’ll fix her up.” standable. A bolt was ’’Push her over to the shop His grin was still there. It was under­ He had designed the aircraft some twenty years ago. /S'O �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter^ built several, and later sold them. Norm Weis It pleased him to look at Second Sweetheart, and his pleasure was my compliment. ’’Nice paint job. ”Yup. Enamel?” Dulux and T.L.Cj’ He was still grinning. Later we sat in his office at the airport/"^d I asked him about cruise speeds, stall speeds and Second Sweetheart was normal, but perhaps spin characteristics. a bit slow. He suggested a little work on the propeller pitch, or perhaps a double check on the tachometer. It might be fooling me into cruising at low Lou didn't like the idea of aerobatics and gently tried to discourage me. My explanation of the strengthening put into the plane brought no endorsement. "You know, every friend I've ever had that went into aerobatics is now dead." His feelings on the subject were personal.. The air­ craft was airworthy enough, Lou explained; it was the pilotage that was dangerous. learned. We talked of aamy things. I listened and I I complained about the smog, and extolled the virtues of looming withlits [GOytnile visibility. Lou explained that the smog lifted a bit each afternoon then socked in each morning. I wanted to head east to the desert, If I would have to leave soo^ or wait until noon the following day. 'I said a prematur^ goodbye and headed out. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter^ Norm Weis The absence or smog Uiude the dtiuert below seem a radise It was rm even at 10,000 feet. laborato type ermometer taped to the\caban and fuselage read 28 degre ing upper abundant gent f co ewall. diluted the wa The Sweet d from the rt was pdrring, cruising at 2 was a grand improvement. I was re open, and a h that radia temperature 180*, all gauges in the green.( -long, strut connect- Celsius. Both cockpit><ents ortable. wash of a The fo 0 rpm, oil The higher cruise The engine was smoother and its pitch I couldn’t tell if the tachometer was off or the more intent. engine simply smoother at the new setting. the result. Either way, I liked The needle of the air-speed indicator had found a new home 7 mph to the right of the old one, an improvement that might raise hob with my quick time and distance calculations. Figured by the old method, using a speed of 120 mph. constantly find myself arriving ahead of time -- not a disappoint­ ing prospect. Thermal, California showed up ahead of schedule. We landed at 4:04, just twenty-nine minutes after leaving Redlands, 68 miles behind. That was more than 132 mph! Tie-downs secure, I patted Second Sweetheart with new affection and headed for the Flight Service Station. fie|ure^the map^flufa eifehawt The multi­ tude of restricted, warning and alert ares on the map overlapped and compounded themselves into a mess rnnlH resolve. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter Norm Weis Reading the fine print pertaining to each area merely tangled the matter further. It appeared^there was no easy, legal way to get from Thermal to Imperial A cnlj map Jlffuiud I'i'did LllLuu. .. My fine print u. j a later vc.-..-cL?n. Other pilots gathered about, and one tall fellow volunteered that he always took the slot between the two restricted areas, (Military Operations Area) straight to through the In5>erial. with I figured I would do the same and squared the details The tall gent and I walked out the door together, diverging somewhat as we headed for our respective aircraft. ’’That a Pitts?” ’’Nope -- Starduster.” ’’You’re Starduster WHiskey!” plane, not me. He was looking at the ”I talked to you up near Inyokern." I glanced at the numbers on his plane and succumbed to like protocol. ’’You’re Oh Five One. Appreciated your help.” I .cyiT>U Glad to meet you. ' g his face, but I can describe OhTl^vej/one in detail. Visibility over the Salton Sea was unlimited in all directions but one, straight ahead. billowed like blowing dust^ It looked like smog, but At .five thewoand feet over the ground I could taste its grit between my teeth. what now recognized as a sandstorm. I rose to 6,500 to clear The extremely fine sand on low flats southwest of the Salton Sea must make such storms a �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter Norm Weis common occur^nce. ^rom my vantage point above the disturbance, I could make out the runway at Imperial, ennld see them. T miles ahead^ i— tallf tn Tmpo-ri aL reported winds of tower crt~knots. ^'^J?tirty knots is nearly forty miles an hour^^^e wind direction and the runwjry heading I could imagine the guys in the tower elbowing were each other with a "Watch this, thirty knots plumb crosswind, and that idiot’s gonna try to land!" Their communication with me showed no anticipation, only cooperation as they made sure I understood the perpendicular- ity of the wind by giving me permission to land in either direction on the lone runway. I lined Starduster Whiskey up on final approach, holding thirty degrees left heading to keep from being blown away. Over the threshold I dropped a wing and swung the nose in line with the stiip. We drifted. rudder, and we still drifted. The wing was at such an angle now More aileron, more that itr dould be two feet underground by the time the upTwind wheel touched. "Thank you. Imperial. I guess we’ll go on to Calexico." Customs officials at Calexico did not recommend that I continue flight into Mexico. They mentioned certain special forms for experimental aircraft but had none available. Of course, they carefully stated, I could fly on if I wante^^to discuss the matter with Mexican officials in Mexicali. A IS-th �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis dozen pilots had warned me about flying a homebuilt into Mexico. ' '' v?rrn.'i,"~:;?3 " ' ' 1 ,i.,, j.*" 'f At Redlands^I heard that a local pilo’^——-t his homebuilt into Mexico, filled out the required forms/*and with their well wishes, fltfu^outh for a little fishing. He landed at the same airport on his return, as had been requested, to find that a slight problem had developed. The local authorities had found that aircraft licensed in the .^experimental category could not legally be flown in Mexican ai:£^space. His plane was confiscated. That was five years ago, and the Mexican authorities still have the plane, ^.<*-'****^ Other sto/les were similar. One pilot was offered his aircrafTS^k/^ a ridiculous price. \Anoth^ sneaked to ? the airporh-aila stole his own airplane, therihad problems with I S^erican customs upon re-entry. ------- ~ Rather than snarl Second Sweetheart in red tape, I decided to skirt the border and head for Arizona, At least that was my intention Borders ar usually disappointing. cTi^fqX^nt — perhaps pink o land to loo las. the other as Calexico ch a demarcation exists. e side, Amazin The solid tan; Mexico vias a checkerboard of green line was unmistakable. One expects the ale blue on ust east of ed^ Statesjwas nd brown. The �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 6 Norm Weis Five miles away and well into Mexican ai^^space, the runways at General Toboada International Airport offered a blatant, welcome. border I headed toward the airport, violating the wondering how close Discretion overcame desire, and I settled for a mild demonstration of disappointment. Firewalled, I nosed doxm until the speed reached 150 mph, then lifted in a high wide barrel roll. At the top, completely inverted I looked down on Mexico and offered a snappy middle-fingered sa­ lute, the international sign of recognition. A brijfk tail wind hustled us on our vzay. iuma radio reported a strong tail wind two thousand feet higher. e climbed and sailed even faster, racing the sun to Gila Bend. The sun was touching the horizon as we passed over toxas. Time and our lowering altitude cooperated to sink the sun completely. We approached the runway flying into a rising sky of red and orange and yellow. "n rollout, a tall Sugauro Cactus moved into position, then another. and perfect. The picture was complete TTiis was Arizona. It had been a long day of flying} from Las Vegas to Death Valley, California, the Mexican borde:^ and finally to Gila Bend, Arizona. I considered ^j/^rogress. With the Pacific Coast reached, the country checked for leaks, and Mexican air space ovei^^flovm, ■—vn ........ ~ " / W;,us �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 6 / 3^^^ J hdti, Bij^^.^rr*the 'way home I would pass through a small town in Colorado where the Rocky Mountain National Aerobatic Championships would be held. My mind shifted from cross country touring to barrel rolls and hammerheads. The next morning I packed the luggage away with 4 W / 4** extra care tba to piTLcLlee lq foati mano.uvoro alon^ T ■^--- —diagram of the Sportsman’s Sequence on the instrument panel. flew ^rth and ^st, rolling, snapping, looping and occasionally reversing with half a cuban /rt-rimght NuiLli, llylhg along the Mountaj .asbem tl^ for the comfort of familia ground and old Z? < X*- �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Wait tfPPTn HP AFiitnririTTKWhTmnN CHAPTER 7 For a chang<iKthe air was smooth as I slipped beneath the upside Mown cake of the Denver g«0;As difficult route was old stuff now. passed on eehedule* J The once », j q-* I put may the maps and relaxed, recall­ ing the pleasant banter of the previous evening with Mike and Suzy Herbison at Colorado Springs, now^^^iles behind. They surprised me with their intention to drive up and watch the wee^T^nd aerobatic competition. i t The HiH liy WUUHUILLR AAfdbALlC CtUimpluushlpj were tifl bp hcil^ot Longmont, a scant dozen miles from Boulder, my next stop. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis I sem planned to base my operations out of Boulder for the week In order to share Mike Ryer's foara~dome hangar and Sister Jess'^ gourmet cooking. e warm welcome that ays awaited my visits with Je er was due -law Ed* s weight problem to brothe imposed let, I d in on a ’ wife- always looked forward to the sumptous f High over the Boulder Airport* an aircraft was going through an aerobatic routine* no doubt practicing for the up­ coming contest. I patterned below* landed/^*”^d wandered over to a shady spot to watch the show. X found myself standing next to Mike Ryer, who promptly gave me the benefit of his jud^^oent on each maneuver. The sequence I watched didn't look much like the stuff I had practiced! even though Mike said it was the same the Sportsman's routine* My knowledge of contest**type aerobatics was so slim that I could not tell if the gent above waggon it or if 1 had been practicing it all wrong. Mike did his best to explain the techniques* but without watching me perform* there was little he could do to help* Others were waiting their turn to practice* so I sat back and watched* The pilot of the aircraft landed and walked over to join the group. His name was Robby Robinson, ears old^^nd a teacher at the local high school, lid hit it itff. He sai^^^lt^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Ueie aerobatics were lousy> but he loved every minute of it* ■cffliTfreved* that they looked okay to me, but that I one to judge, since I had the same problem. I was a poor We watched several routines, especially Mike Ryer's complex sequence. Robby and I offered sage advice froiysophomoric stores of knowledge. b^ind- led tlw blAmd. When Carl Bratfisch joined us, the conversation im­ proved. He answered questions for both of us. His background in the Air Force gave him a bit of an edge, especially when it came to an appreciation of the precision of a maneuver. Carl was a colonel in the Air Force, based at Colorado Springs, but had just recently taken up serious aerobatics W CZ^The three of us, all ’’Sportsman,” would be com­ peting against one another the next day. Robby and I figured 1^4 Carl would beat us both, leaving us to battle it out for last place. Late in the afternoon myewifu. Jay, arrived. Hav­ ing driven the 250 miles from Casper in a ground-born vehicle, she was peopsn and^ready to retire to the Kellenbergersr. For dinner, Jess fixed trout in almond butter sauce and served it with wild rice, togathev'eMieh June peas ^il</pearl onions. Us ate and we talked. Conversation began with recent developments within t&o �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis our families, and slowly turned to memories of the good old days. id Jeas if she recalled her first flight, ing of the times I used to help her commute to her summer ob as waitress at a Minnesota fish ery well, especially the looks resort. She recalled it h the faces of the rich folk s she climbed out of the fright blue float plane, waitress apron ap and all. But s Otten - her V ix years o sidered was also remembered something I had first trip off the ground , the youngest of the family. pest to be tolerated only if ieded this particular day bl ing, and my buddy and I b kite. It was a bi S for- " was five or generally con- er help was needed. twenty mile an hour wind was re trying to launch our latest 6ne -- 3' x 3’ x 6 feet We had a earner taped on the fronjxtiser, and a trip line stretched out two hundred She t of clothesline. An earlier model ng the broken the lighter-vjSlght twine -- this time we were taking no chances. It took two^ people to hold the line, and one to hold the kite. That’s where Jess came in. We gave r careful instructions as to vdiere to grab and how tohold it on a slant. to tell her to let go! We forgot Just as we brought the line tight, a gust took Jess and the'“kite ten feet in the air. The rope pulled so hard, it stumbled us forward, then slipped through our hands The kite fell and broke, but Jess landed unharmed. We didn* Ibl �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weii tpMT'tha folKn other i------------ aQiLnth»x-mem»c4e8>^We visited until well patt midnlgjit.^^ Mike Byer and I took off together at^MU the next morning* Mike went on to the contest site, while I found a quiet spot to practice. While talking with the fellows, I realised that I had practiced two of the maneuvers in reverse* An hour later, the corrected moves began to feel natural, and I headed for Longmont* There were a dosen aerobatic planes already parked on the ramp, and several more land^ made my way to the registration trailer to pay my^lO*©© fee and have my papers checked* Proof of liability insurance was require^ as well as membership in the EAA (Experimental Aviation Association)/"az^ the lAC (International Aerobatic Club)* The airworthiness cer» tlficate and operations limitations were checke^and the plane and parachute inspected* The Inspectors were intrigued by my second seat belt* Such a belt is common, in fact required In all competing aircraft, but they had never seen one that utilised velcro Instead of the standard metal buckle. "Are yuu positive this will take ^negative g’s?" one of the Inspectors asked. I replied that we had lifted three grown men with the belt before it was installed* "Well, we want to be sure — don't want the same thing happening to you that got Speed Holman**' �Adventures la a Biplane Chapter 7 Ha suddenly had ay interest, Kona Weis ”What exactly did happen to HoAoan?" "His belt let go as he tried to pull up froa an inverted dive^^*je fel^hal^ay out of the cockpit. All he had to hand on to was the stick. Ever since his death, aerobatic pilots hove worn a seeend seat bel^” explained the inspector Since that conversation, Z*we rhsughfr about ny boyhood hero every tJ^ Z strap in. aoaxing amount of debris iwo- found* in the bellies of the various aircraft, each Item capable of interfering with control noveswnts rould ^sul? in a fatal acclden^. < ,11^ - ------------------------------- jiBfikiftB ifsrr^^nrr* eeveeal plsnesi A tost jwsfcsweHc uuueig'was sehrtewed frea . ths bslly of a Pecatiaon. Second Sweetheart was clean. 1 had carried out ny own inspection earlier, and in private embarrassment had retrieved a screwdriver that had been missing for three weeksl Z seershed out ny new friends, Carl and Robby, looked over the competition. the Sportsmen Contest. We In all, twenty people had entered Among the group were two regional cham­ pions, a few airline pilots, two flight instructors/^kdA an airshow pilot. It would be rough company, hmverr-emeM-mesa. >tar-of us competing for the first tisw. t6>3 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis One of the airline pilots, Jim MciUnstry, a Western Airlines^ptain/o^inarily flStil in a more advanced categorj^ plane* <eday he was competing in Sportsman with a borrowed He had wiped out his Pitts at a recent air show when debris lodged in his elevator control as he exited a loop* The plane destroyed itself as it impacted at a sharp angle on the runway* Pieces flew in all directions, but McKinstry crawled out unharmed, a tribute to shoulder harness and sound aircraft design* The planes on the ramp varied greatly in else and number of wings* There were hilig-winged T-Crafts, Bellanca Citabrias and Decathlons, and five kinds of biplane^ which included one Steen Skybolt, a dosen red Pitts/'uid one wildly decorated Aaroduster, a second cousin to the Starduster. Parked along side Second Sweetheart was a light green plane of strik­ ing similarity. It was the two-place version called the ^rduster Too,***the design that caused all the confusion on my plane's center of gravity. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis All the planes had one thing in common. On each Instrument panel was a white envelope**sized card that displayed a strange assortment of symbols. Aresti symbols they are called, named for Count Aresti, the man that developed short­ hand aerobatic notation. The circles, arrows, triangles, lines and dotted lines that crowded each card represented up to ten minutes' worth of aerobatics. I had rCws n pmW In Vhy S^wtheart. but it was panic pitl'pd^as only, since 1 was coUfldeiiL Llrnt X had my----- •sequence laemerised.— At the pilots' meeting, we learned the location.^ , t of the aerobatic box^*comers and the center cross were laid out with white panels^A»4he" heii was hhe sums-sige as frhn nnp T^ad Into uul at hsmsi. to the altitude and its debilita­ ting effect on lift, the top of the box was open. Sequences could begin as high as desired. To eliminate the possibility of two planes in the box at once (end it happens at almost every contest), we were to be held on the ground until the man above started his routine. Then we could climb up and enter as the man ahead vacated. Those with radios would get a double check on frequency 122.9. Xt would be a four^category meet. fly once, with the^top third All Sportsoien would entitled to repeat. Those in the Intermediate category would all fly two sequence^ �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm ;*jei« X^e Advanced group would fly three end the Uni 1mlteds would per* form four times. The last two categories would have to fly an ’’unknown" sequence cooked up In great secrecy by the judges. All told, there wore more than forty pilots flying nearly as many airplanes. Zt was to be a busy weekend. It and sounded like fun. Most of the pilots joked abo«*t while they waited their turn. appeared to be quite serious. However, some "Doe" Carothers, dentist from Lincoln. Nebraska, took a small model plane from his klt/*i^ "flew" It through his unlimited sequences. His concentration was total^ ^8 eyes followb^the model as he moved It through an Imaginary box was even more Intense. his sequence,-hl He closed his eyes and. walked through Is net- Ithe wings, flying ^i**'^**^** ver.^1 recognised the sportsman's routine^* I Mneu* "isybs I should join those doing the aerobatic dance* fiMsm rejected the Idea, flgurln^he dance was for top hands only. Zt would be too embarrassing to be seen dancing the routine on the ground. <13Xri«t.r blow the whole thing In the air. Wteu Jotm flulshethiits giuuud»bortrT>rftetice'^ 1 wandteri wished him luetes—Its wns a bit shocked be given wii £t ar ■ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis t||St-XfimpaiUsit-ws--m--dessMd«aasl^iusUMM<sHnrv:"~Bnc'*not-4e9Mi^«« -jf IS** The MnXimiteds flew first. I stood by the P.A. snAOuneert Lloyd Wittenberg, another Western Airlines jZ^aptain^^ His descriptions of the maneuvers were of greet help, and he was happy to answer questions between routines. polished sy techniques. Mentally Z X would float over the top of each loop to make it round and hold straight lines equal on either side of sy rolls. X£ I csbm out crooked, 1 would ho 14 the crook until I entered the next maneuver. ‘'Never make an obvious correction/* said Lloyd, ''except in the interests of safety." day^^jrad friend$ Mike and Suzy Harbison, arrived before the Unlimiteds were finished. Mika asked about the competition, and Suz^told ma I had to win. Jay wished me the best. X explainel^it was all in fun, but there was a small seed of stage fright germinating in my mid-section, do well and not embarrass ay supporters. Robby, and*^JaoBiit X wanted to outscore’ X wanted to beat Carl Bratfisch too/ even— fly M Stainiy tKS, i wanted to ♦•We*. /«.»my X was caught up in the competition/^ahd was getting serious, even to the extent of .findwag a secluded comer bo walk throughsequence a few times. The engine warmed as X sat on the rasp awaiting ay turn. Overhead, Morrissey finished a flawless performance. �Adventures in a Biplane Bratfisch was next. Norm Weis Chapter 7 He started out well — much too well. hop.<l h. wouw blow . .o far. Now it's ny turn. as X climb to 9,000. I My stomach chases butterflies With the required wing-wag* X enter the box at 140 mph, level* barrel rollj^'^a^ level again (crisp and nice)* then pull up to a^^degree climb* hold it* then roll to inverted (not bad* but X wish X had a faster roll rate)* now hold it* keep climbing inverted — a bit longer* since the speed is dropping — now ease back on the stick and come around* -amd back to level (not bad). Dive for speed - a quick look • 150 nph* then a nice even slow roll — oops* keep the name up (eh* oh* scooped it out the last quarter). Now up and over in a ^i)loop* hold that^^^degree down line while inverted* then roll upright* hold the line and level up (perfect). X missed the outhouse and gravel pit markers od my own practice area* but pleased to note on each down/line that X 4lds| still centered over the big "X" in the center of the box. Next the loop — float her over — and pass through my prop wash at the bottom (beautiful). Now gain speed for a half loop and half roll (staggered out of that one). Now slow up for a^^/^tum spin. Do it to the right. Here's where you had it reversed. Now straight down* out of the spin (not bad)* pull up level* now straight up for a hammerhead. left to check wing on horison* now wait* wait* as the speed dies on top* kick left rudder* put the stick in Look �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis the comer — nothing happens — what's wrong? back down. whip. We're sliding I lock up the stick and rudder and wait for the Now we're pointed down (sure zeroed that maneuver). There vb^ chance to beat Carl —• and Robby to<^ most likely. Back to business (hal£}ieartedly) 27(6^ bank, hold the altitude now, straight through the box, back on the throttle, wait for 115 raph. Now -** full throttle, and snap her. Dammit! degrees off bank to the left! crooked —• I'm I straightened- the wings smartly, then cuss myself for not flying out of the box on the slant. Wittenberg would be shaking his head at that mistake. Back on the ground I quickly recounted my mistakes before anyone else could tell me about them. Carl listened Carefully, nodding his head. Then Just as I switched over to' nqr good moves, he volunteered some pointers on my loop, spin/^*^ and barrel roll, the ones I thought were perfect. Shot down by the Air Force! Robby made me feel better. He forgot a couple of maneuvers and fell out of several more, but he enjoyed it. was OQT problem. That I took it serioue^mnd forgot it was all supposed to be fun. From all the talk, and from the routines I had ob­ served, I figured on placing ^^h or^l^h out of When the scores were posted, I found I had placed^th, behind Morrissey, �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis 3588 points; McKinstry, 3370; Powell, 3329; Massegee, 3325; and Bratfisch, 3325. I scored 3066 —• in the top one third — and 5«as qualified for the fly-off! My confidence returned and my ego re^nflated. Damn — that wasn’t bad for a guy that taught himself aero­ batics. Besides that, mine was the only plane whose engine wouldn’t run inverted. in aerobatics. Maybe there was hope for future success Now I was hooked -- and «ow 1 was very serious. We adjourned to town for lunch. Mike brought a round of ale and toasted cy success in tomorrow’s fly-fiff. After a leisurely visit, we returned to the field to be met with instructions to roll the planes out and start up. Bad weather was forecast, and the fly-off had been moved up. We were due in the air right now! I have a rule about drinking and flying. I like to keep them separated by at least {^^hours. There is an old addage, most often quoted in its aboirted form! "Don’t smoke within twelve hours, or drink within twenty feet of any airplane It It looked Mee several of us were about to break the rule. The contestant overhead was messing things up properly, falling out of his loop and flying out of the box. The next pilot crossed the deadline between the box and the crowd. That’s a "no,^no", and brings an automatic zero score. There is only one other way to zero out, and that is to violate. /70 �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis the 1500 foot minimum height — the bottom of the box. I missed Bratfisch's flight as I climbed to alti- asmawd he did well. ■ mind went blank. Hal^ay through my routine, ny I couldn’t remember the next move. I wagged out of the box (it’s legal), consulted my 4re8ti card and re­ entered for the^nd half. Outside of the break/^he routine was good, except for the hammerhead, which was described as a sen45^orque roll by Announcer Wittenberg. After landing, I filled up with gas. competition was over. t«. ij-qs q For me the mu»e 1 UULlltl lahar. Rough air moved in as the last two contestants flew. see them bounce about. It wasn’t a fair fly-off and those who suffered filed a verbal protest. to let it stand. You could Those who had done well wanted I didn’t care, figuring I’d finish^h or^h anyway. Finally the decision came down. We would re-fly the fly-off on Stmday — weather permitting. The scores on the disallowed flights were posted anyway. Unbelievably, I found that I had zeroed the loopI fact I plumb left it out. In Strangely, several othersy^had left out a move or two. Even Gagl-Dratflsuli-1l£l uul bus I And AFJ z** I-6wasn’t the beer, since Carl never touched the stuff. It seems that one must be mentally prepared if he is to do well. /?/ �Adventures in a Biplane Ch^ter 7 Nona Weis Since Z wu new serious about the business e£ aerobatics* it was only reasonable to learn HK>re about the method of seering* Five Judges evaluated each maneuver on a scale of 0 to 10, The high and low scores or^thrown out* much like the scoring of Olympic diving. There ^io^even a ^^ilffi^ulty or "K‘* factor* calculated in afterwards* For exsople* 9 points on a maneuver with K 20/wuld be 180 points. surprised to find that the.highest K ■nsSMaysriiaiH I was tnd thsssfuiu Hit iniuisuiusii was the hammerhead* the one l*coSl'Z to practice that maneuver* and bum off some excess gasoline at the same time* X rolled the plane out and began a walk-around inspection, X {■eAllred ^lalnteaace witehi nne-wnna rule; the meet started, No practicing was allowed once Xn fact, the planes were Ijffcerally impounded for the duration of the contest. There was no way to drain the extra fuel, said, at ^pounds per gallon, that meant I would be haulingunwanted pounds around, X wondered if the extra weight would help or hinder the hammerhead. that maneuver bothered me. The problem with Either X was doing sosiething awfully wrong* or the plane was somehow at fault, 1 asked for advice* but no one had a solution to my problem. The thunderstorms blew past during the night and the morning's bright blue skies and siaooth air were welcome. The fly-off of the top^ in the Sportsman's category went /7Z �Adventures in a Biplane quickly, Chapter 7 Norm Weis bfy first maneuver was good. I was relaxed of/Zth could not be worsened even if I zeroed the routine 457degree climbing roll did not go well. heavy. The plane was too After five maneuvers, I broke my sequence to climb for more altitude. Immediately, the radio man on the ground called for the next man to enter the box. I keyed in a frantic warn­ ing, ”^tay out, stay out - I’m only half done I” There was no reply, so I proceeded, eagle-eyed for an intruder. Surprisingly, However, I accidentally flew out of the hammerhead went well. the end of the box (that cost 150 points) and finished up 300 feet below the minimum height, :X^iat could zero the whole flight the Judges caught (4^. ■fisTT'an hour later the scores were posted. ' Judges had called ma for ’’going out the bottom' flight. ed. The and zeroed ny They were correct, of course, and 1 got what I deserv­ However, seventh out of twenty was better than the last place finish I had feared. Maybe I could have done better had I taken some dual^from an experienced competitor. The two4u>ur flight home the next morning offered time to think and plan. There was a contest to be held<.a ewHseh latea on the Fourth of July at Council Bluffs, Just across the river from Omaha. It would be bigger and tougher, but I was smarter now, and I would have almost a month to practice. If I could solve the hammerhead, I would be very competitive. /73 �Adventure* In a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis Maybe if I climbed with a slight lean to the left, the plane I checked around for traffic and gave would fall over better. it a try. Usually I laid the left wing on the horizon as I headed up, so this time I lowered the wing so that it was cen­ tered on the horizon. complete control. Amazingly, we swung over Ind down under I tried again, this time checking the right wing's position on the horizon, and was shocked to see that it was also centered. Good grief I All ray other ’’straight up lines*' had been leaning to the right. fused to fall left. No wonder the plane re­ Why hadn't other pilots seen it? did, but were Just being kind. Probably did I ever get such a bad habit? Suddenly it became clear. Pitts a few months back. on top of the horizon. X had flown a two-place Xhe wing position for straight up was When I climbed back iti^the Starduster, I carried the sight picture with me. X resolved in fche- fuSwst ^Iways/Q check both right and left wings to )^sure a vertical track. Well now! Competition was going to be a bit more in­ teresting in the future. Casper was fifty miles ahead. X kicked rudder and changed heading a bit to put uqS on a line with my private prac­ tice area, the one with the outhouse and gravel pit. to be ready for Council Bluffs. -159- X planned �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis The month raced by, and the hammerheads became easy. Even the snap rolls, entered faster and with less elevator, became predictable. Improved. My altitude conservation also On a cool day, with minimum fuel, I could complete the sequence without a break to climb. Rancher Steinle called frequently. He was re­ lieved to see me practicing agaln^^i* thought I’d done myself in somsriduire. 1 listened to his criticism carefully, even though he professed ignorance concerning aerobatics. He was the only coach I had. By the end of June, I was more than ready. I de­ cided to leave for Council Bluffs a few days early, and perhaps practice along the way. 1 packed air mattress, tent and sleeeJ ing bag, plus a few cans of sardines and a handful of aandy bars. By the time the sun was high enough to warm the cockpit, we were halfway to Ogallala, Nebraska, riding a tall wind for all it was worth. By noon we had refueled at Grand Island and were on our way again. put down at Council Bluffs. Just over an hour later, we The contest was still two days off, but the ramp held a sprinkling of aerobatic craft. Apparently other pilots planned to do a bit of practicing too. After registering, I flew on east to Perry, Iowa, for an overnight with relatives. Q. have relatives and friends con­ veniently placed all over the country! ^*^e next morning, I �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis practiced the routine a few times in the quiet air above the runways at Perry, then flew on west, practicing along the way. The ranq> at Council Bluffs was crowded with aero­ batic aircraft — twice the number that I had seen at Longmont. ^KidaMt. *reir ahimdant Itt ondly ^tiT welcome was genuine^ A 250 pound pig^had been rotating over a charcoal fire since early BrcnlnQ, carved up and serve^with beans, potato chips and beer.ldMW/^^^'^^vC**^ atmosphere was friendly and relaxed. serious. Tomorrow it would get tirer. 7***^ At eight the next morning, 67 pilots gathered Thirty of those pilots were entered in .flbewtr fov a briefing. the Sportsman category. here to do it again. Everyone ahat beat me at Longmont was In addition, a national champion had showqrt- up, along with a dozen more experienced competitors from all over the midwest. Xhnt wwe I could find just one other tyro/7artiJ*^ friendly nemesis, Carl Bratfisch. Ny flight was scheduled near the end of the group. While waiting, X listened in on the Judges* comments, try­ ing to figure out how they wanted each maneuver done. I didn't see things the way they did — but then they weren't agreeing with each other either. Rancher Steinle's jud^'^faient looked pretty good by comparison. Several times during one flight I heard a judge on the left say '*p>o steep," while the one on the 2 --4*^ �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 7 right sai(^*’^blt shallow.” Norm Weis The judges differed widely on the barrel roll, with one judge giving tens,/a^ others scored threes . and fours. still uncertain just what they wanted to see. and how to fly properly crooked so It would look right from their view point. Flying for score was like painting a picture blindfolded, while five obstinate critics studied the work with magnifying glasses. When It 8«ne my turn to fly, everything seemed to go just right — all except the hammerhead. safe, and skidded It over the top. I played It too When the scores were posted, Carl had 3355 points and I had 3204. We ranked 11th and 15th out of 30.^“Either of us qualified for the fly-off. Eight pilots scored better than 3400 points, with Morrissey, the winner at Longmont, topping out with 3753. As at Longmont, I was at once disappointed, yet encouraged. There was no question but I could score In excess of 3600, given more experience with the business of flying for score. ""*■ '** ght s mors, enj nyahl a. 4.ihi-w.iwii ■ni» ■ I Carl. Bsatflseb and I stretched out on our backs and watched the flights. The quality of pilotage in the more advanced categories was impressive. were unbelievable. gf Other Some of the moves Outside loops were common, and so were �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 7 Norm Weis square andsided loops. There were snaps going up, down/^^ and at the tops of loops. Unlimited |>ilot8 experienced up to 5 negative g*s bottoming out of outside square loops, then felt hard positive g's in subsequent pull-ups. The abrupt change «6r*-*^^»*w** 4*^ I .f cewid put the pilot to "sleep", the plane flyout of the box, wings aslant and uncontrolled. The "sleep" and generally brief. rare Usually the pilot recoverj? before ser­ ious loss of altitude. When done properly, aerobatics is an art form — an aerial ballet — a three dimensional dance deserving of the finest symphonic accompaniment. Even when less than per­ fect, aerobatic flight is rare freedom axid rarer privilege. But for every privilege there is a price. After I left the contest site, one of the contestants ,hisrt<an engine 0^ fail ^sile^climbisig out. He tried hard to save his plane, but stretched his glide too far. the ground and burned. The aircraft stalled, spun to The price was paid quickly. , � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>The Starduster</em> Draft Manuscript Ch. 1-7 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1979 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Starduster_DraftManuscript_1Thru7 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/31c85624106ecbc01ba1e185fe824869.pdf eb558e8245a1d21feb57ba6039845873 PDF Text Text Adventures in a Biplane Nona Weis OF' S^KATCHEWAN Chapter 8 Flying Second Sweetheart to Canada would have been far easier had I remained ignorant of the special rules concerning experimental aircraft. While^building the plane, some kind soul had mentioned that homebuilts were not allowed to cross national borders without special permission^ The rule is little known. ^nd Infrequently ejierctsed.^ It took^hree phone callj and four letters to locate the proper Canadian agency^Two more letters finally had a list of the required papers to /7P �Adventures in a Biplane be submitted. Chapter 8 Norm Weis It was a good thing I started the procedure during the idle days of winter. Three months later, a statement of authorization arrived along with a pamphlet containing rules pertaining to Canadian flying, and special rules for flight into the sparsely populated areas 80J)am My trip WUlJ take me one hundjiiil mil lb hi Him 'JpVlllgad**^arl;—ef SaskahekawnnT /' Mnajr.-af «-hp rftgulat-lnna made sens?, bll*’ * fOW- c^uld nolZ_bfLJii:ajJja£lj£-J3te c^aoi t*y due taJLh££tardiLat^ gmall cargo X vzas required to !>.>.•.« carry five pounds of dry food, cooking gear, matches, compass, knife/*and mosquito net. list went onZ inches or axe These items sounded fine, but the poimds or more, with a handle of thirty feet of snare wire, four trawls (whatever they were), two fishing lines with assorted hooks and a fishj^et of not more thanInch mesh. Since my intention was to go fishing, I had two fishing rods along, packed in a special compartment in the rear fuselag^.0^Alsu fBMiKa small kit of lures. I added one hatchet. some wire/^nd the net portion of a landing net. The four (^4<* trawls were left out since I could find no one that knew what nghj^rthe list made no mention of flares smoke bombs or signal mirror. in NINW. These were standard equipment �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis My letter of authorisation specifically prohibited aerobatic flight. Sieti uae a disappointi^tai, but -eeeti fifaMk that particular rule was frequently repealed. My Cgnadian authorisation* good for only seven days* began the day I returned from the contest at Council Bluffy ^jffiat evening I checked the plane over* serviced the engine* charged the radio batteryy^nd stowed my gear. The equipment <w»ld fill all the normal compartments* making it necessary to carry clothes and cameras in separate containers The total load was a bit more than on the trip to the \*4st ^ast* but there would be no mountains to on the floorboards. _ ...» . I Clear* and lift would improve^ v found denser air the low elevations of ^rthem Saskatchewan. At 7 A.M. I said goo^^e to Jay and took off, headed north. odbyes seemed more frequent tliaftwritius for Jay;— "nugd «^he plane Second ay wsni |ntBTLaJn4ng some dmihs ikunLiiiTHng-1i«i >/**'hmighr r«1»Hir. yar>v^Tlg. An hour later we refueled at Sheridan* took off without delay* and headed for Montana, Below our track* num­ erous coal mining operations scarred the laxidscape. over a number of ugly* unreclaimed pits. We flew I wondered where the beautiful grass-covered reclamation projects were that the big energy companies continually bragged about on the T.V. conmercials. /?/ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis mtana, fifty miles shqjpc ofA the bor­ der, I visited witythe Qustoms man while filjxtg the required flight plan to cross th/ border to Regina,y^skatchew<m. No i Inspection wa^requiree to exit the cowatry, but he went through \ a list of D^ms that vpuld be checker on the other slide. I \ answered/’no” to boozel bacon, apd marijuana, but volunteered that l/had fishing rodA. a hprldy-dandy hatchet, and the ever vitM rabbit snaring wire on board. He thought that was hilarious and had to have a tour of the plane to sea where everything was packed >acked. As the border eased ing to the Canadian rules of flight: below, I think' Eastward flight was to be at odd thousands of feet in altitude, and westward was to be even thousands, both without the added 500 feet required in the United States. No VFR (visual flight rules) flights were to be made over clouds — from now on I had to stay underneath even the most sparsely scattered clouds. Radio frequency of 122.2 was to be monitored continuously "when practicable^ according to the manual. mA mAanh With a limited life battery, ’’practicable” ti*- on* fTZ. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis Presently we crossed the boundary of the control area surrounding Regina* I tw^d^he radio to 122.2, turned the volme up high and gava^Sien, a call. watts was aspa* rently inadequate^* Five minutes later^^^^nd ten miles closer, I tried again^ and received an answer immediately. After asking ny altitude, Regina radio informed me of approaching traffic at 12 o'clock (head on), but 1,000 feet bilow. I was their buaiaeas^likB RtTlWiSSe cautioned to maintain altitude, I reported crossing the east«west highway Just south of the airport as requested, and was promptly given clear- anas to land* On rol^jout, I we^esoed directions to Customs, ths tower man obliged, then asked if the plane Ira^aerobatic. I answered in the affirmative. After some delay, he asked if I did imieh, aerobatics in the plane. 1 answered again in the affirmative, figuring he was Just being friendly. sat in the coc t, waiting for tlie Cust come out and U. S. Customs ag angry If yo eave go law-abid taxi ane. citla After five m I noticed Everyprie got out and we ins id e agent in charge said it^^s coffee time, and could I wsat? ent 8 gei/vexy es of trying to ther V. S/filaxui I foil d of 60 or so We both had coffee Fifteen minutes later, the agent peeked out of the window at �Adventures in a Biplane fflfl InrV, Chapter 8 inH pniwli.ij t-hw Norm Weis tiA, gI4.ghfc flu wj . / The oil was low my and required I asked for a quart weight. In short ordery| flight plan of to 50 Prince * was back at the plane looking for petrol. Albert •TV Thera was no tank truck available, so I gave the bloody wind­ screw a twirl, climbed in and taxied around the corner to the pump. no - a blue fired ques organized t ime the plane was surrounded by uniformed lad boy scout troo^ pf wouldpilots. three at a time until au rview. They ity shBflsd up and The questionp^wer^.Jcnowledgeable — how does/ihe handle on rolls; does she stall clean; what’s the consumption on the engine? All they had was 100 grade. Quite a discussion ensued. Finally we all understood that 100 grade was Canadian for 50 weight American. With the windscreen freshly cleaned, one of the hands volunteered a twirl, and I proceeded to taxi out, proud of my Il tv® wwt knowledge of the Canadian language. When I called for clearance to the runway, the tower operator avoided answering, questions about aerobatics. instead hwgan aiikiiig more I pulled on the parking brake and answered. ”Yes, the plane handles aerobatics nicely, and yes, I did a whole bunch Just the other day.” I7H- �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Nona Weis ’’Would you put a show on for us?” *ti^3“)'l’d sure like to, but ray authorization to enter the country prohibits aerobatics. ” ”T^ell, we can give you our permission.” ’’Can you override the prohibition?” There was a long pause, then a deeper voice came over the radio: ”We will override that.” jAen preoeeJed Ltrmini airshow at busy Regina Airport, while two jetliners loaded passengers on the ramp below. I peeled dovm between runway 30 and the tower at 500 feet and 160 mph, t)ut her on knife edge, held it, Xhen leveled, pulled y J ‘tVe up sharply Zand rolled. On fche-jutJiTd re 11 the cameras floated off the floor boards and threateaoA X trapped<-Vi n-nn hand and COmpIp^-pH— tbpm ggaiMfit- t-hp insEruwent paAol tn* wn th* w«-havy^t-h»RR ri»'ni-«iiii.,.i cut tn g - the radio ’’Beautiful, he Bring r, voice ”it ***P . beautifulI” hewan landscape the sun as seem toXsh roads elevators our CO ft at Intervals raa th ” prin^d o different. were ecially clean. th bright yell and/red grain the side, the eq wn has two or three ings/holding hockey rinks and c lin The towns an ena-size ild- lanes4^.„AxiJ-evcevwh&ie ulgrT �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Nont Weis re is wheat* »ii«| and mitev of wheat* fssHi the shield country* tdie pre-cambrian roe inally makes cul tivation impossible. As Z approached Pr Albert* Z could see the southern edge of the shield* SKltaassive^rea marked by numerous lakes* red and brown outerbps of rock* and nse forests of rather scrubby treofZ*^ Valuable minerals had be about the shiel built towns found sprinkled n the past 50 years* causing roadb^to to be born. Once the roads were built ckly beeasM fishing resorts. Zn spite of the the j^rime transportation in the shield country* or sparsely populated area of the province* was the float-equipped airplane On the ground at Prince Albert* the first three people I met asked ise to put on an air show. The folk/at Regina radio had probatty passed the word up the line. clined* refueled* filed and took off. ' I de­ flight note for LaRonge* climbed in But the ”schoolbus syndrome" prevailed* On take* off Z held the Sweetheart down for speed* then climbed almost vertically* half*-hamaierheaded^^'*and banked steeply to assume a c course to LaRonge. Signs of civilisation dribbled away to a two-lane black top road thatfchanged) eventually to gravel. cars* and Z clung to the road like a child to a Zt was lonely country. There were few magdcst A forced laxiding away from the road �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis would be disastrous, since it would be nearly impossible to move across the Rivers, lakes and bogs interlaced with occasional ridge^ike highlands called ’’eskers^’ formers veri- table maze. We sailed along over a progression of quiet lakes, remaining always within gliding distance of the road. Soon sinre them fortyjjat the extremes, the Eake was surrounded by trees and a mesh of connecting waterways. was peppered with islands. dangerous. northern half iSb southern half was open and From ground level you could not see the far shore. LaRonge Town SH- tight up against the west•iftore on a solid slab of granite. I could see several float planes taking off and landing, and several dozen more tied to the docks. The land port, a mile to the south, was quiet*4*<**^j^ the radio service was shut down. After clearing the area for traffic, 1 circled overhead searching for the wind sock. Fail­ ing that, I took direction from the float planes and landed to the northeast. had to be closed, or uld be launched deserted. A turn ,af ter>^upper arri exp mse. The radio ck was open, but on the cojnter stated^the operator 1 left no tly searc ould re» o the effect that NlNW had and would be at the Dalyn Fishi �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8^ Norm Weis The^cami^was operated by a young and friendly couple, Dave and Linda Longpre* Dave, a bush pilot until he bought the camp, had hopes of expanding the operation by adding a number of fly-in camps, and in the process-^get back into In fac^he had a lake he wanted to check out, active flying. had arranged for the use of an^^ horse Cub on floats/^fl^ 4 like to go alongT**"^**^ Shortly after breakfast the next morning, we loaded up with on^ rod and three luresx^d gas to the brim of both tanks. Dave faced her into the wind and opened the throttle. Soon we were plowing watei^ ar.u4 4...4..Q ** 1 ■ r "* ? J * ”_nn tilw gathered slowly, and the wings took part of the load. Speed Stick left, and one float cleared the water..a,Speed iaeeeased by etr four t^ph whno m, i-qm nm a sharp tug laeice off and climbing. then with Dave was an acoomplished pilot — probably had more time on floats, which Canddians call skis, than he had on wheels. It was a pleasure to look out of the window and <u>/Zo/ watch the floats pass over ^"Irrcnr as we headed for the remote lake. The sight brought back pleasant memories. Jieaewiee of my first solo flight in a seaplane^** serf of s t-yffurself been tirnntj fira yr*-* th*^ ny^ �I Adventures in a Biplane Cha Nona Weis boss and pal, Bill Riedesel, made a most unusual bargain with a yhmig adventurous type named Tom Croswell, Tra wanted floats put on\his Cub and was short of money after l^ing out cash for the Edo Hoats. Bill volunteered his and uptime to make the conversion, yf we could fly the plane, fuimishing the fuel, of course. Tom a^eed, and in three days tlM land plane became a seaplane, comple^ with extra fin, wat^ rudders, canoe paddles, / and life preservers^ the Park Rapids (Minnesota) * airport to the nearest winter. The haul would be expensive. but Tom (adventurous) had \ s He figured two pickup trucks and a long rope would\suffice« The rope would catch each float at the back of/^e ^tep on a fitting called the skeg, / \ but would release as flying speed was reached. It worked/ but it was dangerous I We had three volunteers in the back of each pickup\to hold the rope ends, and on the shouted/count of "three”, th^drivers accelerated along the grassy ^runway. At twenty mph the rope slipped from the right float/and the plane skidded wildly^ try, Tom s red into the air, using full travel on every con­ trol he could find. He staggered over the righthand pickup so low, we du^ed the floats. length amy. On the second The prop chewed air a scant arm's We never tried that method again. \ We drove to the lake and met an ecstatic �•*’X- Adventures in a Biplane Crossweli. Chapter Nom Wsis Z turned out he had never flown on fiMts before» and he loi^ it« and would we like to try it tantJ ^ill went first* While I retumed/to tend the airport. An hour\ater Bill showed up as thrilled as Tom was* and "It went Just like the book said," he explained. "Just opm up and hog back to/get her plowing* then pop her forward on tk\step, lean a flo^ out and ease back!" Z had it and rehearsed it once morses Z sat In the cockpit "sailing" the plane to the downwind em of t^ lake. Z faced her into the wind* checked mags and opeb^her up, careful to begin step one by applying some back pressu^. by the floats. Water boiled, then hissed Just as Z waf read^to pop her forward on the step, the hissing stopped* _.mii Z reallaed we were flying. 1 was still on step / \ Danmitl 120 pounds and eheat^ the minimum fuel made the Cub a real perfomr. Zt wasn’t until Z had received a seaplane rating and started\hauling passengers that Z learned steps two, three and four. \ But whatever the nature of the takeoff* float flying was a ne^ kind of thrill. On calm water, thk usual bounce and roll of Wheels was replaced with absolute siMothness. Planf end water parted and rejoined without a nenceable change. Only the onset of a quiet hiss let you know a perfect landijigghad been made. Flying from smooth water was like dancing the starring role in Swan Lake. / �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis My daydrearaiag. ended as Dave eased the throttle and glided down to an effortless landing on the smooth waters of the reweSe lake. Fishing was slow, and the first three trout threw the hook, I [jiilLitcd uliL Llie dull trsMoi me KAiigKf fiwnw chores, paddling and casting. ahftp.. a We traded WejjaxieefeetWrTBBtllSTTnr e' tt^waSe»"iwiddey on the fleaL LU ChUlTCBTauL Lhe^effoofee .Riit nt liw»S> Fishing from a floatplane is rnddllnr. Vg awkwardl* Everything is in the way, and the uaderfootlng is slippery. The fish were there — .fchee^i what Dave wanted to know, so we taxied about the lake looking for a cabin site. Several sandy beaches offered ideal location^ ^J/^ather began to move in, aad» discretion dictated a hasty departure. The winds were squalling from the wrong direction, irfrp. and eirtwo drooped hff^^y. 1 * > <-g ■» ■ 4xi£JU-aaiXiAg>'e*MMBadde*-Xo->ge<r y “**-*--■ g, n.«t. —r? on t-h^------- j]axt>J;aka«a££Ma£X£aQ£x«.JEieieUi)K9 we clawed our vay into the air and headed home, dodging the low scud^^ C_J^We won, but just barely. rolled in. fog. The wind died and the We flew^through light rain, dodging patches of haterj we heard-several eteries ef ether hush pllntdfc (9f �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Nona Vais that had been forced to land and wait for improved visibility. One of theml^ a lone female passenger of interesting propor­ That pilot was the last to axrrive the next day. tions on boaroV bush out of LaRonge, like most other flying, is mostly routine, but sometimes frightening a^ occasionally humorous. Dave told a friend that had be^ practicing water pick-up and fire-drop te^miques. Many of t^ float planes based in the area can be quickly convert^' to fire fighting configuration. Ssiall, hollow, upside down periscopes let the pilot fill two water tanks by skimming/along on the step with'\ / out really landing, then proceed\to ^he fire and drop the load* Dave’s friend was checking out a tank Installation, and had returned to the dock to complain of 'a release lever that only It took a second, heavier yank to / empty the remainder. Before he could mention the problem, he / was drawn into a scheme cooked up by a group of pilots and half moptied the load. mechanics hoping to get k^ck at a new hand, a fellow nssMMi / Joe, who had recently j^rpetrated a number of practical Jokes. Everything was plann^ carefully. Joe, airport. proposed victim, had Just left for the The gai^ would drive over and wait for the pilot to fly innocently by, then they would ask Joe to walk across the runway topick up some tie-down ropes. The pilot, �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 8 Nora Wale r VROuld time his pass and give Joe a wet right in the middle of the runway Well* Joe Xtarted across* and the pilot him. led aw only a floatplane/ihat surely Joe looked* Idn't land on the runway He continued •*>> atMi so did Uie lane — straight toward him. oe got suspicious* lane was a few hundred feet awe When the Joe jjegan to run, then re- \ / versed his field — reversed again* and finally resigned himself to his worst suspicions. The ws^r casX|bM down* knocking Joe 'let and soaking him clear toXis Jocky sl^ts. mt to look and enjoy the/lretribution. The gang ran They cavorted about the victim* pointing and Ijellering and rolling with laughter, as the pilot banked fpZa return pass, his hand on the lever that had delivered only half a load. They were in a tight knot, laughing and dancing and waving congratulations to the pilot >verhead as the remaining 500 gallons of water cascaded down*. , laBonge was still socked in with fog the next morn** ingy* 1 wandered about the town soaking up the frontier atmes-— pherp, e< an "end of ths road tewm” The single main street wsndewed^lewg parallel to the shore, graveled in spots* but puee solid granite most of the way. Fishing camps and charter air services crowded the lake side of the road. and a few residences stood opposite. Stores* cafes Sewers and septic tanks were all but precluded by the solid rock that underlaid the 193 �Adventure* In a Biplane ae^R^ Chapter 8 Norn Weie zJfiere was only one flush s£^ in town* am^ Indians from hundreds of miles around made special trips^ to flush it. Oufcheuees were the- nesm.—Brand new pre fabrlcaLed— tpeyefced ■■ui... and ona >dne litpior sev 1 "licens varied 'client to Cree trap formed in side ore did booming **ta]ce out" business presdses" offered libation to a greatly Well-heeled fly-ii\fisherme pay day, end on ont of the "premises awaitit rank ale next day, long lines open hours. Once in< native Indians would order six or eight beers de­ livered to the table, and enjoy the visible prospect as they sipped the afternoon away. ____________ The whole town smelled of fish. For the sport J* x***- the boats returned, people gathered at the docks to view the z -/fyU and pick up a tip or two. Each boat carried a large washtub or box of equivilent sise. NP-mawtageaBS^aiBSad* In June and September the boats usuaUy returned with overflowing boxes, happy fishemen^/and grinning, usually toothless, guides* But now, in July, the big fish were scarce and the boxes sq^u^ngJ^ fiUed? The urge to go fishing — really fishing — heoa * �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis ipBtetfi'tmd guidri returned as 1 watched a box holding a dozen *‘******y-rr-*—emptied ity^the cleaning house four pounders was eaoqpad neaabyX^d mas looking for someone to go shares on a day's fishing. Ed^wma a retired Saskatchewan wheat farmer/ avid fisherman* rhsmpifm ski Junysr* and oaai 6*?lw&e charactezg ftnt fslilnm mseSr. We made a dealy Ed's outboard motor and knowledge of hot fishing spots^matche^ny boat rental and gasoline. Ws headed out early the next morning* dodging reefs and bowely siibmergeifc rocks along the way. An hour late Jie seepped Se ewell s« sme-ei Bd'e fa^rity^speiaSs Ed took a couple of sights on nearby islands/*’If I don't resMSsber wrong* this is the spot.” j We trolled with wire lines^amd heavy luwes* beunen as Ed was complaining that "they don't want to hook today*” a nice one put a horseshoe bend in his stiff trolling rod. Soon we had a fine eight-pound lake trout thrashing in the fish box* and moments later a six-pounder Joined ”"iL gireb you----- plenty of t the particular to vis I was intrigued rds toget th s accent and med that in " and "trout*** rhymed perfectly. In �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Nont Weis t Canadian on and headed north to try casting for N er^^ke, calle^ ^Jacks" by the locals, Fishing was the next four with a save er and a six pounder and four pounders for on sone urs. I ftnally^-^jmtrib?ted alternated e, and when the fish box looked respectable, we tiours and thirty miles The weather was lousy the next morning. Fog re­ duced the world to a silent white hemisphere. The fish caught the day before were all filleted and frosen. Ed had donated kCf Ince his freeser at home was already ful The twenty-odd pounds of pure, boneless fillets would fit nicely ix/^me of Second Sweetheart's unused wing compartments. I stomped about town, yi-eifeing every charter sevvice and^l sh fame headquarters, touching base frequently with Dave and Linda Longpre to swap stories and listen to weather reports. The outlook was bad. When low ceilings gather over the shield country, they usually stay £while, up to a week, according to some of the long-time pilots It was relaxing for the hush pilots — a time to rest and let the mechanics catch up. time was running out for me. If 1 couldn't reach the United States in the next three days, my permit would expire emoon, t rained all bight/and andered about But rting a newly rain fell with �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 8 The rains stopped in late afternoon, but the A new low-pressure weather forecast remained discouraging, system was to move in the next for another week. and dominate the area There was.a chance for a few hours of mar- ginal flying weather the next morning^ I packed uph-and made arrangements to pick’^the fish^^ at 6 A.M. ;?here vas a noticeable thinning of the overcast as 1 walked to the local hotel J:ha next wming for an early breakfast. An hour later, a patch of blue passed over^as Dave helped me load up the Stardustei^^*^fe^ it socked in again. We waited at the radio shack, looking west for lighter skies, as if wishing would make it so. Perhaps the wishing did it. a thousand feet. i The ceilingX*^ose to I quickly filed my flight note and took off. The overcast lovzered some as I approached the mild highlands hal:^3‘’ay to Prince AlbertZ^ squeezed through with a hundred feet to spare. If it got worse, I would have to land on the road below, or head back. Itjasa brighter ahead, so ^^con­ tinued. ^Twenty miles out of Prince Albert, the weather went below VFR minimumSy'^ ;&t was too late to turn back. My gas would not reach. I called Prince Albert radio and explained my predicament. They could refuse permission to land, or they �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Nona Weis could bend the rules and let me sneak in. Never underestimate the Canadians. special way 5t^handl#*^uch problems. They fiaS^a I was asked to orbit a dozen miles north o£ the airport while they cleared the area of aircraft so that X would be the only blip on the nearby Saskatoon ladar. There was only one other plane in the air* and in a few moments, irwas on the ground, and X was cleared landf«*jfe Now X had to find the airport. The am* hundred^ —foot ceilings and quarter-mile visibility made task challmging. X^found the town of Prince Albert, then the river going east. Around the first big bend, 1 turned left and came in the back door to the airport. No sweat! landing under minimums in a pinch was all right, but X would have to wait for 800-foot ceilings before departing. X drank coffee and loafed about the grounds until noon, when the men at Flight Service said another window was arriving that would let me get off for points south — at least to Saskatoon. X filed for Swift Current, 225 miles south, figuring to land at Saskatoon if the weather worsened. We left as the window arrived, pointing upstream and south-southwest along the Saskatchewan River. brightened. ahead. Soon the skies Five large white birds with black wiT^tips j^gijwred As we closed, the' large yellow bills*Q^^he pelicans^bo*» nans swtdsati. We were alieost even with their formation when the �Adventures In a Biplane Cliapter 8 Nom Weis left wingman noticed us/''*^?h<!y evacuated in unison^and banked Saskatoon showeci clearly a point or so to Star- board. Like most Saskatchex^fin cities, it looked bright and clean, even under dark skies. I reported my progress to Saskatoon radio, received a eatisfactory weather report and continued on course for Swift. Current. ood off both wings, and we flew the wide corridor, feeling t occasicnal warmth of brief sunshine. Twenty miles \u^/bf Swift Current\ t skies were suddenly clear. hat’s what. ohC weatherman termed a similar ’’Severe clea relief from overcast conditic:•ns. Swift Current Flight Service a ramind nr thal^U. S. Customs XTOuld be clo3ed,^«4«M< •*LnTnn GuiirTiijr >JfherG would be a ^25/00 fee to open the office at Glasgow, Montana. ^^ere was too little time to make it all I hac to overnight gomex4iere, I ^igur^ the 'vrsy hcm.Q/^^d it might as well be^Swift Cuirent. I had one day left to reach the U. S, without violating ny permit. During the night , the edge of the overcast drifted south instead of east as expe cted. passing up breakfast, I hurred to the airport; few ijftekclia <eB peawwes cn the ■— wa!3i»— It was still bright to the south, but closing down rapidly from the north. Some of the scud looked familiar. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis The ceiling^ went below minimus^ as Z taxied out to tlM end of the runway. 1 had to receive clearance before takeoff. Swift Current Flight Service knei^lTwas headed for the brighter skies to the south* and to delay me now would hold me up several days. ceiling. They cleared me in spite of the low Nice folkf these Canadiaxui. For fifty sdles we dodged clouds and powe^ines. JBiea ^iuddenly it was clear again^*^ rose to^comfortable altitude* ^nd fep crossgf ths<, invisible line* the 49th Parallel* that separates those who say "troot" from those who say "trout.” Montana* asked the quired questions the plane. on before releasi Haljf^ realised that I had failed to cancel jd gow did not answer* but after four calls* the pilot of a Twin Otter* flying nearby volunteered to relay my reque The homing instinct came on strong as the Big Hom Mountains showed a faint line ahead. Individual peaks stood out as we approached Sheridan on the Wyoming border. was nearly 100 degrees. The full tanks and the extra weight of the fish packed in the wing made the taktf£bff fnora Sheridan Airport less than spectacular. We staggered out and climbed �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 8 slowly into coole^ smoother air. There is time aplenty to dream and fehinlnwhen the air is smooth and the course is known. Each sight below sparks a different thought. This was the favorite country o^Jim Bridger some 100 years ago. "Old Gabe(^ as they called him, used to call Big Homs, his "Shining Mountain^^ and he would tell lies about "seein* clear through * em." H^Zlaimed they "magnified rock chucks to look big as Ue al'se^laii all the mountains in the territory "was jes* little hills" when he got there, and that they had "growed some since." a special storyConcerning passing below was reclaimed. t liked to be a/small alkali lake before it The e was oil ep above it, and an outc face, "Old Gabe o:: coal below 1 e to a newspaper ioaan from rold his fines e\3ast who believed it and printed t as truth. "This ••Old Gabe ce is going to famous soma day* said '* Sooner or later someone is go in* to open up that oil seep and let her run into that there alkali lake, t tunnel in and torch off the c whole d boil the e down into the biggest batch of soap you ever aoi �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 8 Norm Weis Fifty miles ahead, Casper Mountain showed its rounded outline. We were nearly home. 1 studied the mountain carefully. It didn't lookwhit bigger than the day we left. I had kind^^oped it might have "growed some^ jTZ**^.** 2.^2 �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 9 The grand gathering at Oshkosh, the yearly bash of the Experimental Aircraft Association, was scheduled for the last week in August. That gave me ten days to relax, in­ spect and tend to Second Sweetheart’s minor ailments, as well as gather maps and lay out the longest trip of the sunner. Oshkosh was a mere 900 miles away,ya shorter- trip by TjtBnncrpj t-han the jmmt- t-n ^gut-Osh^osh■ would stop on the way to the east coast. be an extended Once^the Atlantic shore - �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis my border^to-border and coast—to-eoast goals would have been accomplished. It took(ij)sectional charts to cover the proposed route. I planned to visit Park Rapids, Minnesota; Oshkosh, Wis­ consin; Chicago, Illinois; Goochland, Virginia; Kitty Hawk, North Carolina; and Muscatine, Iowa. The trip would last about two weeks, requiring an amount of gear, mostly clothing, that overtaxed the plane’s capacity. I sacrificed the chute and replaced it with two changes of cloth^s^ then up three more changes to be It was the wrong season to leave cool mailed ahead to Oshkosh. Vtyoming and head for hotter and more humid areas. sweat a lot, I expected to , The sun rode low on the cowl as we headed east, looking for the dark^SSd^of the Black Hills. They rose/*^nd sharpened on schedule. We passed over the^^wn of Custer and skirted the southern end of the mountains. Mrff*Rushmore, a few under s^^^t^s of rain. miles to the north, was Rapid Cdity, visible over the nose, was momentarily free of precipita­ tion. We gassed up quickly and were off again. The best tail­ wind was at 9,600 feely^^/^e rose to ride with the helping wind and enjoy the cooler air. at—F" Qi-yrpnnf The deoeenfc to-Abeideeii, SuuLtrPakuta, feet, wuuVI Tifi nri rnr popping UHJiinlenee. To minimize the effect^ I began a gradual let^down eighty miles �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Vais We landed under sunny skies dotted with a fresh crop of out. budding cumulus clouds. North and ^^ast of Aberdeen, we nicked a comer of North Dakota, crossed the north flowing Red River/^^and entered the State of Minnesota. The air felt cooler immediately. The clouds were older here, sporting flat bottoms and slow boil­ ing tops. The land^ below changed from crops and deciduous trees to *Xai;ee and pines. I put the maps away and enjoyed the familiar outlines of the lakes passing below. Mature thunderstorms stood with an^vLl^hg^^ hoadsthreaded OUr Hoop ranynn. nnf- nf y/tay tyhlt-e lightning shoot bright jagged lines from the virga that bottomed each storm cell. Sounds of thunder were lost in the^engine and the view from the cockpit weis "remini bo ent of a scene from an old silent movie. The air began to roughen, Gratefully we sloped down over the trees and slipped sharply to the grass runway at Bill Riedesel's little airport south of Park Rapids, Minneso- ta. We had traveled 650 miles in^^^^hours — what a freedom machine( Bill stood by the hangar, all smiles, as I taxied up. His help in majoring the engine two years earlier jaow^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 hroughte- full' satisfaction. Norm Weis He ran his hands over the curves *•<*"« Vnr.w4r.g thnt of the Sfcarrtnwhft^.in Gfppyflr^nt-^nn. all skills viaart to bwlld she plawe hadiJaaat learned ^i^Jhis direction. nf r,uz^p Two of Bill's art asked Bill to-call whenane passing out ^)^^jizo«de. One of the men, a Starduster loo builder, paid the ultimate compliment by dlaimin^he was going straight home s^ take a piss-elm branch to his half-built plane The second gentleman was more concerned with performance "How quick^'^oes she get off?" "I don't really know — probably six, eight hundred feet at this altitude." and offered to bet He both of us know- ing .all he wanted was to see the plane fly We didn't measure it, but with the luggage out and a firm breeze on the nose, she got off in grand fashion. I hung her on max climb at^^^per, then put on an impromptu air- show. i-n Tt-»n idisn alftni*; lOOpod SUd aK«..T,^a V^.>p« Awo gtiy rolled, hammerheaded and snapped, slipped and '* »- XI... trU.. knn^or fA-,. ^nin.»h.i.. - surf tw-H 11 ■ At eljght the next morning, I climbed in the cockpit,''ocmfnrtable jgith Ginny Riedesel s enllnasy nospitallty. 2^)6 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis Sfi^efully avoiding the stick with my leg, I settled in and moved kll the right levers as Bill gave the prop a twirl or two. has a way with engines. He ) One hand in his pocket, the other gently pulling through against compression, his head cocked, listening tor the right sound from the carburetor. ’’Switch on,” and thJ nvor ornAnthly AU1' »r pnVL O^'Wpnhhv, Once airborne, I picked out a lake on the desired track ahead, took a compass reading/^nd relaxed, letting the Sweetheart handle the business of flying while I took in the sights. ToV>-.e f.yoAA Smoke^tw a saw mill rose, kewfrwest, rose some more, then leaned hard east. I matched altitude with the east leg and watched the ground^peed climb. Just south of Duluth, and barely short of Wisconsin, •fly J;&7way was blocked by a solid bank of Arh^te. Ta -f-ly above HiFas €n1 ly — the gas tank would probably go dry before I found a holei**^t tried^»«2e«neerfch, and the world dissolved in white, forcing me into an uncomfortably low one-eighty. nearest airport^a lonely grass strip near ^5<mdetoone, Mliiuesutn';—Tlie suck hung litnjT: n bear up fuul pump and set the parking brakooi Ar* kfaded sign read ’’Sandstone Municipal Airport - phone for gas QT taxi. Inside the adjacent shack, chewed over stuff* chair, and rinizonnt-o o f-rnm ,0 well «<gpi»nr.g epfo, a �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis note was pinned to the space heate^: ’’Don’t light fire — bird's nest in smoke pipe.' fcsid weathered-twtn»engine Aera-Commander nPiaiocks were boltad to^^h^^do^, and sat on two fl an ki aid someLhlnK’TKbew Marijuana, no J»n I bcLi? do foe away. for a look. ■ j qq «4,.. imj atr-tmp«-»d tn win tha An hour later, I fired up the plane and went up The path was still blocked. Another hour, another try, and this time the fog was breaking up into patchefi. headed east, zigzagging to remain over open ground. We At Rice Lake, Wisconsin, the fog closed in again, but we needed to land there for gas anyway. Navy man ran thw waath«>r station at ^^Ti* ^°V<ui Illi* prognosis was u6iuiiul» and as it tumed-^^f also oulfw arriivfM A» ^nd _ t-U.. The land-changed from lakes to meadow, /•* 'de then to mixed crop and dairy land. Jifead winds 4eMai«^ and we headed southeast. our speed suffered. It took nearly two hours to cover the 150 miles .^osaWMbee laitet To Waupaca. A twin«engined aircraft was departing Waupaca as we entered the pattern. I tuned in Unicom frequency just in time to hear the pilot of the twin ask: '’W^io’ s-bbafc up there �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis tn that little biplane?” ”It*s me, Norm Weis, from Casper, Vtyomtng.” ’’Sorry I missed you,” came the reply. Waupaca was delightful. Nice pilots’ lounge, hot coffee, new tie-downs (at no charge)^and a cafe across the street. Oshkosh was a twenty-minute hop away, in early the next momxng I could pop uthe convention traffic^ set in* t Jhe- tent f ai S nie elyi along side Second Sweetheart’s right wing. I Inflated the air matteess and fluffed up the sleeping bag. The seat and back cushions made an excellent pillow. I laid out canteen, flashlight and reading material, locked the camera in the baggage compartmentretired to the shade of a large cottonwood tree across the street^and nuxV tn the rafiei beer was cold and the trunk of the tree met cty back in all the right ^la^es. A mild breeze the air rnnled as the ^wened. It would be a good night for sleeping. well the gear^wwo ro 11 a 3 aiid a t the horizon by the time aA4r The engine startea the first try, and «affre* .a.rfhawt wainuLip», I was off to see the elephant « the grant extravaganza called Oshkosh. Traffic was light — only a dozen planes flew the pattern over Oshkosh. Lacking the proper frequency, I joined the no radio group and landed the first go ’round. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis A pickup truck full of ground handlers met and directed me to Uta parking spot. I dug out the tie­ down stakes and laboriously screwed them into the hard ground, then tied the plane’s wings and tail securely. At the registration booth I filled out the forms that entered Second Sweetheart in the judging for the best homebuilt. I signed a statement attesting to the fact that I had done at least 5(^of the building (actually 98^, then paid my fees and headed back to unload the plane. car was parked alongside the Starduster . '’’^u’ll have to move it. You’re in\thex^ong row!” They hilped roll the plane next row, th^nCleft as I began shifting the tle-downaz Ins ip lent blist^frs gc^ and burst before the job was dpne. Another blplajre was directed to my old spot by_^ the crow that had asked me to move A ------- Planes were everyvdiere -- landing, departing, form­ ing up in display lines, filling camping spots, settling in for the week-long air show. Within a few days there would be more than 420 homebuilts, 150 antiques, 140 war birds, two dozen rotor-craft/*and a handful of creations that defied classifica­ tion. In all, there would be ^260 on display, and 300,000 people would view them. They arrived by car and by plane, and they stayed at the campgroun<^ oeb-tw the motels, or the /University dorms. influx. The 50,000 citizens of Oshkosh were overwhelmed by the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis The entire vest side of the airport was filled with planes. Thousands of store-built craft crowded the park­ ing areas and created a havoc in the air that challenged the traffic controllers. More than 70,000 arrivals and departures could be expected during the week, making Oshkosh temporarily the busiest airport in the world,.t^r far. Airline pilots had been known to pass up their scheduled stops at Oshkosh because of the confusion. Planes formed long lines in the air awaiting their turn to land. Controllers had no time for such niceties as numbers and letters. It wa^’^d lovz-winger, you’re next — stretch your glide and land at the far end; yellow bipe, pour it on, stay close to the red low-wing; blue Cessna, you’re long, go around; silver Beech, put it down now, right now, then get off the runway to the left! up. Come on folks, close it Red Cessna, stay right and put it on the numbers* BEECH, GET OFF THAT RUNIMYl BLUE Everyone, taxi on the grass only.” And on it would go for an entire week. And that was just the runway for store-bought aircraft. A separate runway was reserved for experiraentals and such. At times that runway was even busier. I wandered about, getting in the spirit of things, The letters *^E^^^.^^ere everywhere; on signs, on every air­ plane, on caps and patch-covered jackets. I saw them on pins and t-shirts, even earTVings and coffee cups, all offered for t-h �Adventure* iu * Biplane sale* Chapter 9 Norm Wei* Two dollar film was selling for $3.95, and there were fees to camp, fees to enter the ground, and fees to enter the display area/'-^ndj of course^ a fee to Join the K7A?X^^^fbeg£^*^ to resent the fact that Z had to pay a fee to display a plane that others had to pay a fee to see. Yet, the Hicpevli^SataA Aircraft AsioeilaMsa Is a nonprofit organisation, loyalty within the group Is fantastic. I seemed to ha the only one possessing doubts. questions were met with amazement. My hesitant Nd one. It seeam^ had ever heard a disparaging word used In connection with the E.A.A. Apparently I was out of step^- * maybe It was tht "yilgtifi. For would-be airplane builders, Itrwaa a grand place to gather vital Information. see lota of planes. run loose. For xmiookeve. It was a to For^^M^ It was a place to let the kids For It was a place to learn a skill) even take part In some construction at one of the do-it-yourself workshops. For the buslnesqj^o^k. It was a place to aeidt-Hietr pmdiifrt as hawk their wares. �Adventures in a Biplane sopagatelyi Chapter 9 Norm Weis 1 wivorf ip block]! f buji HrilBLlBijiL Out on the ramp/nmerous aircraft were on display with owners or agents on hand to dispense information as to cost of construction, perforrnance/and of plans. the availability Selling plans .jawk big business. Of cours^ it’s nearly impossible to design your own craft, and plans are vital and well worth the money — especially If they represent a craft designed by an aeronautical englnee^^^* meet ef them-are> CZ^^^lTBut few people realize that 1,000 sets of $150 plans add^ up to $150,000, and that’s big business. Only one buyer in sixty ever completes his plane, so the sale of plans is a matter of selling dreams, and I can’t knock that — for dreams are aare at any price. A^'^ark, I caught a bus for town and settled into ny dorm room at the University. It was sweltering. it was still hot^^^^eep was impossible. At midnight VThile those lucky fiUDi Llie “Ouiitlj" slept comfortably, the group from cooler places sat in the lobby, watched television and sweated. More homebuilt craft arrived the next morning, and the competition escalated, ffnr ii iilihH I thought the Sweetheart was the finest carnmp^c on display^** trundled in. a wildly painted Pitts Its finish was like a mirror. The three colors of paint met so smoothly that the Joints defied detection, even by fingertip. 2-/3 �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Whin Down the line, a trio of BD4*s*^arked and new ropes were strung along stanchions. One proud owner stretched nearly 100 feet of white plastic chain about his plane, set up large Information easels/^li^ relaxed on a matching white chaise Joua^. KIs airplane was flawless — metallic paint Job In subdued tones of green} dark ^lexiglas^4*^s^P<^ upholstery,^/ and desert scenes air-brushed neatly along^c^ter lines of^^e* lags and wheel pants* Before all the contesting aircraft had arrived, I had reduced vxy Taaik from a hopeful first or second, to twelfth or below — and they only went three or four deep on the prizes* However, tl^e^^ms always an award for the best S tardus ter > and there ly^had a chance > although seven or eight Stardusters had already arrived, wen-another Starduster showed up, sporting a military paint^J^ that rivaled mine In workmanship,^became Instantly 3ieentfuU imw wandered over to visit with the "ptleb aid owner. j x He We a decent sortX^^ small-stalked like a couple of banty roosters^^ur plea­ sant words^qulte^^poslte tJefrinx thoughts, Down the line, the builders of two blue and yellow biplanes were going through the same routine* Their discussion waifiaec to argument when' It eame-Se the question of cruise speedy then cooled as they both watched a thlrd^blue and yellow biplane taxi up with a young woman at the controls* of egos, and mine It was a gathering �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Nona Weis was second to none. Of the twenty or so biplanes, I figured the Sweet­ ♦•h-rAugb heart was the finest, but tdeenrl was ownex% light green Starduster Tyfio^came close^'^Y^m eyes. sure the owner eyed my plane Uhe ^valuateten,, but there no rivalry here, for old Doug Pfundhelle^ was too buoy har friendly. His family^nH fwteiwhj a few blocks away in the drive-in campground^ <Hri pnt camped got along wall wlbh Norwegian^^limlip— hospitality is exceptional. Doug htmg a sign on his plane, "Please do not touch or caress," and it worked. our planes. However, we both stayed close to The hordes of visitors, although mostly well manner- ed, were known to flop ailerons, climb in cockpits, bump and bend worst of all, lean over to look in^he cockpit while babes in arms kicked hell out of the fabric. If it wasn't babies, it was neck-strapped cameras that banged and rebounded. We all developed baby rash and camera Now I understood why so many owners had brought rope and stanchions along. At times I vay worries over tourist damage tjjxnedie^edbBsfc and walked over to the workshop area to listen particularly interesting seminar, or take part in a work­ shop. But always I returned quickly to take care of the plane. Then too, I didn't want to miss the judging team as it made the �Adventures in a Biplane rounds. Chapter 9 Norm Weis Some of the owners stuck around until dark, hoping to add a swaying word or two. We all assume^T^J^tlw judges^probably a team of half a dozen experts** would look each plane over carefully* top, bottom, inside, outside, even lift the cowl. There was much discussion about the great number of ^^omebuilts'^hat ha^^been built by professionals. One past winner had claimed his 5^^ but it turned out he had hired his welding, bought his fittings, had a friend build the ribs, hireo^tne plan^eeieeaMi^ and farmed out the upholstery and paint job. He did fly it to the contest. I began to under­ stand how the unbelievable paint jobs and upholstery I had seen on some of the "top twelve" had been achieved. Thousands of visitors wandered through the display area each day. Most of them asked the same questions! much did ^xost? from Casper? Do you really fly it? "How Did you fly it here How many hours did it take?they ooh^and alf^n admiration^ST^wch a long trip, as if each hour were perilous. The job of plane tending became easier when 1 blew up the air mattress and stretched it under the shade of the right wing. I lay there for hours, fielding questions, occa­ sionally reading/^nd always hearing the click of cameras held by^iSSc Kteo thought a comical sight. �Adventure3 lu a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Wais The week long fly-in Is a good experience for the flying huff, the sl^tseer and the would-be hooMbullder. I envied them as I stood by the plane, my freedom restricted and opportunities to look and learn severely limited.—Oshkosh experience would have been far more pleasan^^^ 1 had made an^) ebservey<gi7a mistake to display a plane /^rller on the first trip. Air shows were held at the end of each day, and they were the beet feature of the convention. Performers vied for a chance to show their skills, and they did it/freal <yhere- was such' a spirit in the ergsnlteMnn and such respect for itw"'' feisndoTii Paul Pobaragipy^ ♦•hat me one evee esked’ a fee of ths XaAiiAi ^^^^al hours a d^^ ^r the entire week, the air shews went oiy^ and seldom was an act repeated* were outstanding, Most efiethe acts tw of them were quite similar to the type of show that 1 had put on for the college faculty* Perhaps I wasn't so far from professional quality air show work as Z had thought. One performer made his briefly* It was a quirk of the plane that he had discovered quite by accident. biplane stand on its tail Itaesolved to experiment with the Starduster and see if it had any unusual moves within its makeup* could invent a new maneuver* . Perhaps Z y Wednesday rolled around and there haJ bssiri rg. sign of the judges, Worse, my clean clothes had not coma* �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Bainy weather Jee^ arrived» but that wee we leone. Nem Well Ute IneleuiBinr* weeiih^ would hold down the visitors and temper the heat. Between rain showers, a young pilot at the south end of the field had been Making short flights in his powered, tailess glider. He would fire up the engine, hoist the rigr'v^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis and run into the wind, retracting his feet as rtwr-flying speed was obtained, then climb laboriously for altitude. I watched him execute steeper and steeper win^^vers, marveling at the stability. Every tailess model airplane X had ever built flew only briefly before *^/er1^a aede atmtlaa ts fclf rotating reel in an old push-mower. A few flights later, the pi^t e< tlis LuilesM overdid his aerobatics and :&4r^ver on his back. Immediately the wings began to roll over jind swsr» like the reel I had been thinking about. He fell as he rolled, and passed behind a large hangar, still rolling. I hurried Xks line to find the pilot and machine both intact. On the way down he had been shifting his weight back and forth to no effect, but after shutting (t0ib^the power and shifting weight once more, the plane stabilized a few feet over the ground. E.A.A. officials were on hand, as well as an ambulance or tw^ d pilot was grounded for the duration of the meet. Skies cleared the next day and the crowds increased. Long lines formed lor every necessity. X stood in line for coffee, &Mr hot dogs, 4Sow a drink at the fountain^er a chance to use the outhouse. voiced the sentiment! Someone deep in one of the lines ’’Oshkosh is a nice place to live, but I wouldn’t want to visit.” Six of us missed the bus to the airport the next 2 �Adv«ntura« in a Biplane Chapter 9 morning, so we shipped in 6^. cab. Norm Weis As we ■pprosched- the aiv 4Mpa,H.<ng. port, we aaiBfa ftn» pd st s steep aagle i peiliups UlJETty W8g*«r» strife ths ground and flii^i^ owsr. Although we were still several blocks from ths terminal, we could clearly see two people scramble from the ^*p^S^mid run, then stop and stare^as^lipilled fuel, ignited jjpMot. fnllftwed ths trail to t^ ‘^irplum brightly. Qm-aAspdiiM flared Later we learned that the plane^^rried three people, and sadly, one of them did not get out in time. It surprised sm that there weren't more accidents, especially on the runway reserved for the experimental^ ^^The "fly-by” pattern above the runway was always crowded. Sometimes thirty or forty aircraft made endless circles, some landing, some taking off to enter the circuit. To fly the circuit, pilots were required to attend one of the many briefings held each day. The ^leflngs were put on by volunteer people, and If it wasn't such serious business, the proceedings would have been hilarious, J>n , g ... Hl**;* P‘"J||1 II oeated meseewa nanatflijlifr Iipatumtly “‘Ti“ The thrust of each briefing was to the effect that certain hours were for slow planes, other hours foiPmedlum speed/'and 4rtins«for the fast planes. There would be NO racing, NO Abrupt �Adventure* In a Biplane Chapter 9 pull ups, and MO turns below 200 feet. Norm Weis All takeoffs and Ings would be handled by the slgnalswn on the runway u ZtAi -(-ea fy direction o£ flight on the circuit we sfcatsd, thsn .<0^ Il colored card of a certain shape as proof of atten­ dance, and permission to fly the circuit* But as soon as pilots climbed into their planes, the rules were forgotten* As If by common consent, wst pilots sttde soomlng cllstb* and showy low-level approaches* there were lots of informal races every day* And races — The colored cards given out at briefing were seldom asked for at the runway, and slow, aedluBi and fast aircraft were J^ifsant^ In the pattern together* The word was out* The judging was finished I The winners would be announced later that day. No one along the biplane lines had seen the judge^^^Wm a pilot from the next row said they had driven by one day In the^j^^ — rolled dow the^windows and looked — at some plane^^ they t even stop^^ the carl Well, none of us expected to be In the running for the sweepstakes, but there was still the prise for the best biplane. �-J. 4 Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Then the ecx£ fell! Norm Weis The donor for Chert:' trophy That meant all our waxing and polishing, hadn't coma through. waiting and hoping, had been in vain. The biplane pilots propped up their crippled egos and turned their attentions to the trip home. For me it was The best part of ray trip was still aheacL^ But there easy. Car nwM*. mnffi nl-r aHnw^ thia atiH m« t-A pain of H4AAppA4A*r«^*- TJie performers, the most "Spectacular, , was a group called the Canadian Snow le flight of niAe, often shi/^ting to f soloists. leath. r Thei^ Tu^br JetsTwere red I They trails whpie smoke and Lights on. I They wer^f antas tic. \ Formations not between xti^eu^rs, but in the mid­ formation chafed to wiw goose to diamona :om loop to /roll to bomb b^st. / They were \ They truly flew^e HIGH FLIGHT that John Billcspie Mageeu Jr. captured in verSe shortly before he was kille(L--ert: age 1 ieKoy^ Canadian Air Force! �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth And danced the skies on laughter**silvered wings; Sunward I’ve climbed, and Joined the tum­ bling mirth Of sun-split clouds — and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of — wheeled and soared and swung High in the simlit silence. Hov’ring there, I’ve chased the shouting wind along, and flung Ify eager craft through footless halls of air* Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue I’ve topped the windswept heights with easy grace Where never lark, or even eagle flew. And, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod The high untrespassed^sanctity of space, Put out my hand, and touched the face of God. The above poem is often published without copyright �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 10 It was a relief to be alone and free of crowds. We were a mile above the ground, cruising north, paralleling the spur of Lake Michigan^^^alled ’^^en Bay^T*****Plans to head for Chicago, then southeast toward Kitty Hawk, had been changed by the persist&it rain-filled low-pressure system that occupied ^xxthem Wisconsin and most of Illinois and Ohio. I had always wanted to visit Mackinac Island anpmyy (they call it ”Mackinaw”), and the weather was an easy excuse. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis The entire Island was an historic landmark. Located a scant fifty miles from the Canadian border, between mppee and* im<re>"MlqhlganH fche Island commanded the strait between Lakes Huron and Michigan. Although no cars were allowed on the Xsland^ ■in oidex bo preserve ies hi st eric sspee^ access by air was permitted. It would be a nice place to wind down after suffering the crowds of Oshkosh. We hopped our way along the west< shSre, then curved along the north shore of Lake Michigan, enjoying the sun and the solitude, shopping every two hours or so^r gas, coffee and a leg stretch, \ X Car¥ crawled along ths'Uiighway below, their destiny dictated by the whuM of a strip^f concrete. I watched their struggles to pass and>gain tM edge, and felt vastly superior as we sped by at twice the/speed. The desire to fly must be within most of us, but the'^ear of leaving the ground in many of us has happily left/the skyto just a few of us. The air was pleasantly rough as we climbed to pass over the open wi^r that separated Island. mainland from Mackinac Measui4ng am a half, pfing two two miles miles by by one one am^^a half, the the southern southern <end of the Isl. was filled with stores, hotises, a hotel and rock- walled fort. The north end was traversed by. a single 3500 foot runway. \ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis ere no hangars, just one bui g wit wdre ti in js. adid, restrooms down, so ntended EM ephone. en planes a spot and sunk tie-down stake ctiiirlrrE ooil- t , . Cmara/n hnndy I began the one—mile walk to town*. ■ A*i4**-r**itJ‘ • lait.Wfin niHrWy overtaken by a stoutly wheeled dray, pulled by a team of horses. I bummed a ride on the tailgate, dangled my feet and enjoyed the view. The road was deeply shaded in tall It was marvelously quiet. pine ' WU llhl'daded tttfe L. 1iiiinfL!i. o -pr.illcu muffttJ Llm ulijp JLidU^ll lab»r. orses, drpt^ings were a with king-siz push carts. of days w ” were no ons and bicycles were everyv^ere. ev ere, but so were the street cleaners ong-ha died dust pans, Any smel ng gone. that rema Bi and twor d was pleasa led y remiyiiscent iding was made inteeesting by the apples” that escaped the sweepers. Amazingly, there ies! Main Street ran parallel to the south shore of the Island, and was face<^both sides with small shops and cafes. The side streets of town were steep and it was common to see a string of bicycles catching free^ride/behind horse-drawn vehicle^ Qjl I uiuiimin Illi Illi iiiiiii.u£ij jiaok.i curlo^ Z2-C �Adventures tn a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Wets the ramparts of Fort Mackinac, high on a promontory at the east The Fort is intact and weafehithe climb and the edge of town. <92.00 fee for a chance to wander about the halls and to view the Straits from highf^rapets. Semawhate-'Sliattailj ' atSwftbsd, but On the opposite side of the town, the impressive Grand Hotel effuis a tastir olsgmntitn ’ Built in 1878, with fancy woods and loving care, the building has remained in marvelous repair and full working order* More than 800 feet long, and fronted all the way with a column supported three-story porch, the magnificent struc­ ture dominates the Island's west overlook. ThaLjml9UBa4xizuJiaBg£sJJ3 fira aprlaklar jysbsmi. Itenjrlg^-eye doors, and a reinforcement . Just inside the main entrance was a sign, "Ties and coats are required after 6 p.m.**>,^ AnA ba lew frhet-r-" lytked to bjrpass the ” nn r;*****^ rig^^" a"sho^^ t-ls"* pl eye** *‘hi Cl rtnF’for^^le. The lobby wa^eeply carpeted. Adjacent oms and cocl^t^r^loimges obviously catered to^ tlaa^11 heele felt out of place. \ On the front porch, a four year oM lasB'^s lost and c tie ^^Immediately one of the hotel officials, in black tails, to �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Nona Weis . An elderly woman was trundled oi^ the front door to a waiting ambulai^, one of the two vehicles allowed on the Island, The lady was ito formal attire./Several long-tailed official types hovered ab^t with sme/ling salts and worried looks. The scene shouted ar^uen/s. A problem developa^ whfeh the lady refused to let the long-haired unshaven, dut^gar^-clad man with the sththoscope come near her. She refi/ed to acceM the fact that the young ”hippie” was an M.D.y/and stoutly clawed she’d ’’rather die.” A compromise was reached. The officialXwould load her through the rear door/^ the ambulance, and the "iHppie” M.D. would enter via fene front passenger door. Once irvSthe privacy of the vehicle, and safely out of sight, she woulc^et the ”hippie” ’e't. doq^r^ndj^^^neg^i&l^^ Feeling the need of a little class ntyselfAl dined ( s&fd out in the finest place in town that did not require then took a.taxi to the airport. mrme, eaueh lilte the dra> , except J Mini II vr ; a'l'VSTSSI h»w1 'iinly skinini.agy bnrs^pnwer It d. a twcK-way uudip! was labdin the T-pn-ifi- ev en and women a h piled 0 and ran over to hold the knew h way around ould tell ard unif s One of thtem obvijXusly y the viay h 2-Z^ �Chapter 10 Adventures in a Biplane taxi — by the horse Norm Weis brVdle! The lM<fi ay The crewmen remaning tried to explain the situation to ma. Sure, it was ^vacation, but it was a trainWig flight too. Yes, it took a lorn of fuel/ but the pilots ha^to fly a certain num­ ber of hotws each mon:h to remain curr^t. Why didn’t they fly ke another Gua^ Base? They explained tracted few/volunteers, 1 lold gaZ; ay the hotel, I 8uffered‘~*-eoTCPu- sion jbf standards. I hold nold t' thjroi their presence made me proud to •ayer. pitched ray tent beside Second Sweetheart as the sun spread color over the western sky. With flashlight and book, I read myself to sleep — the first good sleep in a week. oJ- coffee brought me awake. th^<*S^ter was fiXy»g*1nsLeakfast. The crevz in iZcleaned up in the opera­ ions building^then wandered over to the ’copter to visit a it and a cup before firing up the plane and flying south for a proper breakfast. J ' -------------- - —------- - ' At Jackson, Michigan, I learned that a low-pressure area covered most of the Appalachians, and that Hurricane Belle on the coast^^as holding the weather system in place. I de­ cided to head south and skirt the west edge of the overcast. Marysville, Ohio was as far as I could go. I was �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis stuck there for three days vihile Hurricane Belle made a slow curve to the northeast, then finally headed out to sea. The air was clear and the sky was cloudless as we departed Marysville. A few miles south, smog covered the city of Chilliclothe like a poisonous blanket. dirty brown and Beyond, the sky turned plumes rrsr ^hi hrrrlrgn f”^J of red and black smoke compounded the problem. At Ashland, the visibility dropped to two miles, requiring special radar clear­ ance and a ^^ve minute wait in order to land. The poor visibility had me a bit spooked, and I sought advice concerning the best passage through the Appalachians. "Just head up the canyon," the man said. you can see to the next bend. "Keep going as long as That's the way we all do it. Of course, if you had the instruments, you'd be better off on top." Jfllihiiisgitm^KyiVThorinlnn, T pointsd thr ntnr^iiii^rqn nopdj;o the east, foliowing the highway to Cha^aaton, \ virginiaX Charl^West radio cleared BM,-tHrough their/control \ area and wisKW me well as I neadetTup the canyon, aiining for y Tteaweke on the other side of the «ounteata-»-----------" The overcast sat like a lid on the canyon rim, and we flew the open notch, following the bends out of necessity. It was nervous work, and 1 disliked it intensely. My hand ached from gripping the stick, and time crawled. My disgust turned to stage one fear when a half- �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Nona Weis bridge loomed out of the mist half a mile ahead. Con­ struction work meant guy wires* and that meant I had to go over* not under, even if the space below looked ample* I climbed to test the ceiling, figuring on a quick hammerhead turn if things The clouds rodeubJMiM«ML feet above the rim. went bad. I turned south, crowded between the clouds and the town of Fayette ville below. e The ai t was* in f d high" ction way. th a bend to tXe rig circle two win and npP^oached from 'the south. the lose/end of the runway After contacting the hill sl^pe right I gutt Two men tarr ng cracks^at ved away at the la moment realized we were/on a bad down it OU brakes* maki hour 40 pe ged the the bend to/the back up slope. thin, and more than e could talk your leg off frie lea ed wan d weat about know. Fina the new bri In fi fteen minutes I than 1 reall West , I got the conv sation turned to the , and what the remainder of the canyon was like "That bridge is gonna be the wor s highest and 23/ �Adventures In ay^ip^/fene the world' this Chapter 10 p — the vdiole wo arch brid longe bad. er 8 n G 8 wors of the :^anyon is okay — Aot like own is wh say, d you kn this thos books in e scXools, and th lots o£ times e part you a through —’ e they first^/started banning coal mi rs’ unions - II r came from j\n>n Norm Weis 4|f white-knuckled nqr way through Llw iBUia'liulci eS< any on, carefully following our slow progress on the map. At Hinton, we turned south, and with great relief followed the flat eastern shore of Bluestone Lake. Then, with lifting ceilings,‘•t^erflew the narrows at Pearisburg and took a straight line for Roanoke, Virginia. The blacktop ramp at Roanoke felt particularly solid and reassuring. 1 dawdled over several cups of coffee before calling Dan and Ruth Steck, old friends now living in Goochland, Virginia. We agreed to meet in Charlottesville, 100 miles northwest of Roanoke and forty-five minutes away over comfortable terrain. Riding in an automobile was a welcome change. I spent the evening and the next day touring the various construc­ tion projects Dan had going, and generally relaxing, waiting for* the smo^ to clear. Dan and Ruth finally convinced me that the haze was normal, so I made plans to fly to Kitty Hawk the next day. Dan had locaged a small private strip just norgh of 2-32 �Chapter 10 Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Goochland, and taed**secured permission for me to land on my re­ turn from the coast. S* The smog enclosed us as we climbed out of Charlottes ­ ville. It was M*~~a thin brown version of the white stuff I 4^^ encountered over Los Angele^ formed a Tarwfirstaele around the plane, growing and shrinking, but always affording a few miles of visibility. We climbed, and the sky above became blue, but the ground visible below closed down like the dlaphaam of a camera. AU»uwu Duwl fUflUiCl AVdUlid usi** We flew the bewA past Richmond, dropped In at Chesterfield County Airport for fuel, then headed southeast, carefully tracking progress on the map while keeping an eye on the bottom of the bowl. There Is one advantage to smog flying. Other alrI, craft stand out as black sllouettes, with no chance to hide In A the camouflage of mottled ground. The possibility of a raltPair collision Is minimized. At Suffolk I filled up for the 240-mlle/round trip flight to Kitty Hawk. The Great Dismal Swamp occuplled the land under a shorty straight-line course. Common sense dictated a track south along the railroad, then down the wide Chowan River< and east along the edge of Albermarle Sound to the long cape that stood off the coast. Detours aroimd restricted areas and the Coast Guard Port at Elizabeth City added to the distance. , , . With Just over half a tank of gas remaining^ the 233 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 dunes of Kitty Hawk shewed* below. Norm Weis The skies at the coastline were a suarprislng blue, well speckled with small puffs of cumulus. The bright sunlight flashed off the choppy waters of the Atlantic while the or^hore breeze held the smog at bay. I wheeled overhead, reconstructing the path of the Wrights* first flight, then dropped down and rolled the There was no time to dawdle. almost half gone. The fuel supply was With throttle retarded and mixture lean, we began the slow trip back. Prior to the trip, I had done a bit of reading about the Wright Brothers. the two men Aviation texts generally agree that been badly served by historians. eering skills were phenomenal. Their engin­ Not only did they develop a controllable flying platform, bu^the engine to match, a«4 the first airfoil-shaped propeller. Their propellers were more than 70^efficient. Sixty years later, propeller efficiency had been boosted to only But most of all, they were persistant. wrote to Octave Chanute,^May 13, 1900: Wllbufc ’’For some years I have been affected with the belief that flight is possible to man. My disease has increased in severity and I feel that it will cost me an Increased amount of money, if not my life.” On conviction of the brothers' first successful �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis glider flight, Wilbur wrote his father, Bishop Milton Wright: man who wishes to keep at the problem long enough to really learn anything positively must not take dangerous risks. Carelessness and over-confidence are usually more dangerous than deliberately accepted risks.'* One can but envy their industry and their genius. Perhaps it would not be pleasant to live a life filled with such determination, but if Z could have controlled Ety own ancestry, I would like to have been one part Wilbur, one part Orville, two parts Will Rogers, two parts Llndbergl^ three parts Speed Holman, plus a dash of Wrong Way Corrigan, the fellow 4hatr took off from New York alone In an old Curtis Robin headed for Los Angeles, but ended up flying the Atlantic -- quite on purpose. Wy wish carries no dissatisfaction with my lot. Quite the con- trary,^I consider it qtshWer miraculous that I was bom InM the gentle th ^ntury. Of the thousands of generations that trod the ground and watched the birds, vy turn came when man first took to the alrl Fuel was bouncing on the empty mark as the Sweet­ heart's idieels rolled to a stop once again on Suffolk's wide runways^once used by Billy Mitchell as short field take off training for the B-25*^that raided TSokyo early in the wsrr. Nearing Goochland, Z spotted Dan's car pulling into the outskirts of the small village. It was air-show time. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 9 Norm Weis X passed by his vehicle at eye level and legal distance, climbed to comfortable altitude and ran through a rapid sequence of loops, hammerheads and Cubans, then headed for the private strip a few miles north. the nest <J of the day ess than two ch trip. The Mtrii •and foot laiikth •• perhaps ^00 et along The bottom and "•••aad deep �Adventures in a Biplane in trees although a to/provi e approa rrowe and £o VZhapter 10 Norm Weis rr< ane of trees had been clears nee The upper end o d a Vee- 3 with extra power. uphl the field ed trough I dr gged the field twice ' ped or t Do ill first, and hen >a :isfied the st p was safe, I si ped through the gap the trees ris4i bounced t the ground held off en collided with a nd clattered up the ravine almos Two days later, after Dan, Ruth and I had discussed and solved all the world’s problems, .Ik nepewtos^ irem Llial fiiald, *’ * 11-*—r.H r I III i insisted was purely xxaturil, The reliable smog, which Dan seemed to keep pace as we nnn-ff we st*-southwest, planning on a gas stop at Lynchburg. —'TKe^miiqipal Airport at Lynchburg had quency not available I my ten frequency transceivi to use the non-control' ed Falwell Strip, rer fre so opted The strip was ed' Lca- tional re Goochlai id’s runway sloped reasonably and evi in helpfully Falwell’s 1 pe blacktop runway looked like a sk: jump The strw appeared to be flat for half of its 2900 foot len th. then rise sharply and level again for the last hundred feet so. /it was so steep that a plane attempting a turn on the slipped potion must surely be in Manger ft toppling. If the landing rpll didn’t end on the flat at the bottom, you were committed \ to continue to the -flat-~on~’ton. """" 2-Z7 �Adventures in a Biplane C apter 10 The Sweafthear Norm Weis came to a stop in the firs the st ep uphill portion. feet, fuel and some m^or repel s. We t thousand led 1 for An intermittent miss/had devdloped indicating a p/oblem with/one of the sparkplugs ified up the I fired up If throttle. face do down-Roping runway e engine and taxied AX the top, I turned to off quickly, ^d we climbed off thi the nose stizll below the horizon. 1 was/tempted to come back and land/io 1 could try the takeoff at duced throttle. The 1 ill w so steep that an Idle rpm tai re­ ainl 1500 woul done it. The Clinch Mountains paralleled our track as we fnv an easy pass<Br~through the Appalacians. The map indicated a reasonable passage from Norton to Cumberland, but sixty miles further, the gap at Middlesboro looked even better. Strangely, the map showed the southernTmost passage to be "Cumberland Ga^|^ well removed from the town of the same name. Xfter r Clinch Mountal umed eling at Ab and rode a autiful V across th y to Tazewe hen for Cumberland Gap. Tree-covered mountains rose sharply and crowded both wings as we entered the gap. Like the playful a3oZ*^rk of some forgotten giant, tshaJliap formed an open wedge, momentarily break*^ ing 4^>^teadyymarch of the Cumberland Range. Beyond, the land 2^38 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis gentled to rounded hills, bounced down and leveled. We landed at a place called London. Sectional charts make light of state lines, and I was not at all sure just where I was, I asked the young man handling the gas hose, and received a look of pure disgust, along with a grudging "Kentucky,” The wall map in the office showed that after leav­ ing Virginia, I had clipped a comer of North Carolina, entered Tennessee, then passed into Kentucky at the Gap, At Seymour, I played it cool and consulted the wall map first. Indiana! The name had a pleasant, friendly ring. There was plenty of room in the big hangar, and **s^e, I could sleep with the plane if I liked .’**^Tha roan even smiled in under­ standing. I*m sure he figured I wanted to be with the plane to ensure its protection, when in reality^^^ny finances had reached the point where I had to choose between soft beds and gasoline. Then again, maybe he had ma properly figured, since he gave me a ride to town and pointed out his favorite hamburger joint. Thunderstorms struck at 2 A.M, fortable on I lay awake, com- air mattress, head resting against the wheel pant, enjoying the play of lightning, listening for the trailing thunder. The broad doors of the hangar stood wide open, but 233 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis we were tucked well back, safe from wind and rain. Soon thunder and lightning came as one, and the storm stood overhead, deliver­ ing rain, then hail, then rain again. The thunderstorms marched all night, but in the morning the world was beautiful. p fiBB.1-1 puffy cumulous, rimi i fiffw' dwewehed gweuad rose slowly to begin their dally growth. We flew below them, then among them, and soon bested their modest heights, Tfc matf thn oewfr sf Juji JoUi HuOue sngetee uLuuL lTr*'High iTI ifght . The sky was a delirious blue and the clouds timh'* nrhrth as we chased the shentingi wind fWhs the same kind/nf day that I gave uiy faLlieiTB t serious Methodist Minister I wanted him to feel the thrlL gentle Vlouds of early morniiig, hisXfirst ride in an airplane, of flikht among and beyond the It was a closest I hatfebeen to heaven, and I wanted much/to share the my he would feel at the same lerience, But tl e sights fell on>unseeing eyes — eyes that s Idom left the c Inf Ines of the plants cabin. Sitting behind me, ' mds clamped to the back of ray seat, \e endured the to atv&i^hte.n each dip of thk wing with punishment, attempting . a countering; twrst on the aeat, I skidded each turn to hold hi world secure whil^ pointing out the beauty of the sunlight on the clouds A quick look, and his thoughts were once more inside the plane. Likq/a parent dutifully viewing a chil mediocre, but proudly offered report card, hejquifetly endured ±he gift I tried to bring him, ---- �Adventur«« in a Biplane Chapter 10 ther was Twenty feet pposlte. Id/ ask me to air she Norm Well ow when we left ground. / on roll out i/fter landli g^und?” I ed to clonally bumpy "when wll •harp pul\ltxps nge touch the ke off and inten- Utt to eee her eraile and tell me it t older brother* Homer* lived Just 400 miles ahead at a place called Muscatine* Iowa* Ijeould be there In three hours enjoying family talk, eating a forepromised dinner of catfish and com^^n/^h^/^b. As'^bSSaed before, I had family scattered about the country In the most strategic places* On arrival, I learned that the corn mas on hand* but the fish had yet to be caught. Homer claimed he had them all staked out In his favorlt^^hofe^ ews miles srwth sf tbs bmidge* In the middle of the Mississippi Rlver> fish failed Kul, to favor JHsmse*s rig. Ve ate ny catfish and his wlfe^^^^ry's, cornT^/^he/il^ob. Bad weather followed good* and It was two days before Second Sweetheart cleared ground. Ifo flew northwest* making gas stops at Marshalltown and Forest City* Iowa. Imiulrles concerning runway conditions at Lake Mills, lows* brought strong caution concerning wet muddy runways at that town's small airstrip I had taught physics at Lake Mills High School thirty five years earlier, and wanted baldy to revisit. One of the �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis students at that school was responsible for my first flying He challenged a statement 1 made concerning the theory A of flight and backed up his knowledge by telling the class he lesson. had just flown an airplane eifevn^ all by himself I I set out to equal his credibility, and In the process met a most Interesting character Eldon Hagena fwish jEjBom e« Btlnlr»'wieh an Alw- Ceeps,gaining | tfyfhg'Tb n-Hvlng deing whate he !lieved-beee> flying and tearhing nthers-tetr" He owned a little yellow and orange hlgh-wing tandem two<place Aaronca 7kQ, *^ferred toVaffectionate^ as the ”alr knocker.” charged seven bucks dual and five sol<>XKd yeu aeu^'?buy-a fifty <tmnj eha leeal^cafe. 111 nr Ilm kisanr^ *-hiT His airfield consisted of a^A^acre grass patch with one T hangar, a tiny shack/^d a gas pump* The longest runway was 1^600 feet, with a fence at both ends. All In all. It was a perfect place to learn to fly. Eldon 163^2glOgling sort -ef laugh' tluit suxfaced sja^b't Hii Ilian n practical joker. 1£ a, forgot hAe seat belt, he could hardly wait to get enough altitude to pop the stick and float l^he wMidcwb to the celling. I forgot often, and each time the trip to the skylight carried more force. Once eMeodSBl! thought landings had been mastered, Eldon would bring on a klng-slsed bounce or two with the same .shove on the stick. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norn Wslt In the winter, wheels were replaced with skis, ^gsd the field seeamd to shrink as the packed snow chaxiged to Al y ice. Jhe~ frantic use of wheel brakes, tdiich had no effect at But he was all on skis, brought old Eldon to fits of laughter. watching — if he was certain a stop could not be made short of the fence, he would Jam the throttle forward and suggeet tha-*^ student take off and try again. wuuld spend hOUrs trying to hand start the engine at 40 degre low, then raise the tail to get pressure to regiffter During some of Iowa's worst bllssa we dropped co to sta: ving pheasants, and even t game as we tyled to saye the birds by hitting sacks of lied com Even the resident fox bounty pelt added ip to a tidy sum structl abruptly ceased as we went hun oi t becanM a square w not safej n sported, dual in ^d whack him with out and head ran opposite to tn, we would buss the farmer, then reduce throttle holler and point, hoping to split the bounty and pelt money later^ Hagen showed me my first loop and let me try a few. Of course we tried a snap or two. That was merely a spin turned sideways, and spins had already been covered — they were required for a license baek then. ___ .J The brief taste of aerobatictu aed^ y �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis On cross country/^ripi, we fleiZ^y~*the’“eecttorr line There is a road every oiile in the mid west, and 1 1 do was angle your/pathi across to match you jieed /' I on the map. We flew low, good weather or bad, and /'■ J everyoneI we knew, which seemed/ to be everyone. In one of my classes I taught a eadlspace flight. Qhe of on rockets told his paints, and they told the school board, which/held a meeting and saw that I was toyi to bring suck nonsense ^o a halt. I was censured and tolol to <|uit teaching science fiction. One parent made it i clMr that X was never agaii^ to make the Claim (in class) thajt / ./ ■) / ' tLfaan would ealk the moon ih twenty-fiv^ years. That parent i WM on the/school board. Twenty-three years after that episode, a man walki4 and one of the students in that class was partly esponsible. He had gone on tkj>ecome an engineer for N.A.S.A, / \ He iprklled meI after the moon walk, in an obviously celebrated **We did it I We did itl” me-jd! i could mak* out.) c ition. The old 40 acre aiPfield at Lake Mills was gone — eaten up by progress Fsnsy hemes and sfcwests violaSed ies The new airport, a few miles southeast, was indeed nuddy^and I dared not land, I cruised over town and over the nearby lake and golf course. After a while I flew to the site of the old ai �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 10 Norm Weis Btrrtoy looped a loop or two,^fehen-made a sido slipping appreach ♦•ft- t-ho ftiH -wiriMajr, trip homeward* Avajf headed west I continuing my Eldon Hagen, if he was watching, would know that one of his many fledglings had stopped by to say hello* �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 11 ^ETTINtr- Norm Weis TTOin I*m still not sure how I got involved in rating. Perhaps it began when Z stumbled onto the aircraft requirements for the racing biplane class and found that the Starduster was qualified. Maybe it was because I had watched the Reno National Air Races several times as a spectator. Certainly Z was curious about participatingy^*j3e^'tg on ihr-luside-vf the big evsiiL IMmudiid lIKU heady gaw»*^;rt» prospect scared me a little. was a dangerous sport. Zt �Advanturaa in a Biplane Chapter 11 Ic *3uld certainly tesj/m skill* enge 1 couldn't pus np. but Norm Weis It i»s a challV Jay i«s^rt tob crasy abptft the idea,! promised b^^raedjust this one J along witk it ——----------------------- —_— time only, X The trip to the ust coast, stretched out by bad weather, had cut in on the time needed to prepare Second Sweet­ heart for racing* Less than three weeks remained before we were due on the line at Reno Stead Airfield for the Reno National Championship Air Races* For some months my two crew members had been read­ ing up on the rules and cheeking into possible changes that might legally be made to the plana and engine in order to in­ crease the Starduster's speed* �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 11 Norm Weis Pat Day, explosives expert and area manager for Southwestern Explosives, was my general expediter. He saw to all the many entry forms and contacted other race pilots for information. He also lined up two sponsors^ Casper White Trucks and looming Central Aeroway^ sponsors had volunteered to underwrite the cost of some small engine parts /*and a special racing propxZ^*^* Fat and I had become friends several years earlier through a mutual interest in homebuilt aircraft. He had^a mid- A wing Volkswagon-powered midget racer under construction in his garage, vdiile X had a nearly completed Starduster in mine. traded advice and muscle frequently. talents always surprised me. We His eyeball engineering He could see a mistake before it developed, or spot an existing ge^ and pester me tmtil it was ^en possible, X returned the favor.* When X invited Bob Husted to be my crew chief and take over the care of the Starduster's engine, X received a prompt .grlnnlnQ. ^affirmative*'* Boh had helped me through some /***yP/>*^ early problems and had impressed me with his knowledge and his abiding love of flying machines. people in this world T seem almost normal. Bob is one of the very few is skinnier than I.ssfc Standing eHisHig**e44e> he mal^me On occasion we have been known to demon** strate our laeeriHky famous disappearing act* On cue, we turn �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 11 sideways, suck in our guts Zand claim invisibility. Several parcels and a stack of letters had accumu­ lated during my three-week absence. One box contained the short, specially pitched racing prop. Sprinkled amon'^ the bills, I found an important letter from Racing Association /The United States j number 17, fees liud been sseetved, and we were requirbj^^o report on Monday of race week to qualify plane and pilot. Additional letters from old- time race pilots^^ave Forbes, Don Fairbanks/and Clem Fischer held valuable advice and encouragement. I needed the encouragement. Now that the race was near at hand, I was suffering from second thoughts. Racing around pylons was risky business. People got killed that way. The quip made by one pilot to the effect^ that "fo^might get killed, but you never got hurt,'****^2S^little assurance. Jay and I had made a special trip to the Mojave Air Races in early June to see what racing was really like. What we foimd surprised us both. biplane class seemed to be quite The pilots in the racing of greatly varied, but background. Dave Forbes was a tall, gentle, soft-spoken airline pilot. Don Fairbanks ran a flight service in Cincinnati, axid Clem Fischer did the same for many years in Nevada. Their wives �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 11 Norm Weis were friendly and notably unworried about their husbandj^^ racing, Stan Brown, Reno Attorney, and C. R. ’’Reel Blackbum, telephone installer from Lompoc, California, both raced for the sheer joy of it, Don Beck, former test pilot, now in the construction business, raced to win — and usually did. His revolutionary all metal ’’Sorceress” usually beat out the Sundancer, flown by Logan Hines, a data processing executive from California, And t?iere was^an Mortensen, a traffic controller from Newcastle, California. called him. ’’Last Place Da^j^*they His bright yellow Smith Miniplane could barely muster 120 miles per hour. He took great delight in racing even though he generally finished last. always waved to the judges On the final lap he each of the six pylons. lab Vi logs and their wires warmly invited us to 'jointhem at the/Reno Races. approach to/xacing. We took cony ort in th^JarTalm We\had expected to find aa^ssemblage of characteM^wild-eyed and irresponsible.^"'^ere were a few in some or the other race classes, but they were the exception. There was a strange undercurrent of dissatlsfac- tion running through the filUir rsrlng. cl asses during the Mojave Race. Interclass rivalry for prize money was part of it, but anger over application of rules^conceming engine specificat^naTws- the main cause. I the problem would heal itself before Reno rolled around. �Adventum* in a Biplane Norm Well Chapter 11 Z forced any second thoughts hbout racing to the hack of ay nlnd. There could be no backing out now. ,Boh jsail fir id up aiid ready Pat and ^tel reservations had been made, and Ch^ were both anxious torgaa>the big race^fgcw rhe Inside caught their fever. gafffai fl y «ral a-frApngyaphl a map nF I lui fimpiTr 7- X chose a nearby stretch of flat ground that had dirt roads at one-mile 1r>«>awa1a.irnJiHiiH tn inaXlaaa J T checlMd the Starduster's top speed by timing the run both ways and taking an average. If the wind quartered our path, I let the plane drift, avoiding aaay crab or reach. Over the two-mile course, nor speed each way simply ^200 divided by the seconds elapsed. On the first try I got an upwind speed of 128 and a downwind of 162 for an average of 135 miles per hour. Not badI X could beat Mortenseiy^t leas Although It meant endless trips to the speed course, T_yes detsrml""* make only one change at a time. That way I would know precisely the effect of each. between elevator and stabilizer did little to Improve speed, and side windows to close In the cock­ pit did even less. Decreasing Incidence/^ angling the front of the lower wings downward brought the speed up to 139, a four miles per hour Improvement. Installation Z57 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 11 of the racing propr made little change; did not develop. . Nona Weis ]Fhe expected 3100 rpm's We air-freighted ie off for re-pitching, and in the meantime went to work on the engine. Bob Husted installed stronger return springs on the valves, worked over the magnetos and put not^hielded, wide gap plugs on all the right mag wires. firing in spite of oil fouling, I^e wide gaps would insure cause horrendous radio £[it]x one magf^^ill firing shielded plugs^the interference. radio weuld still operate^icely with the ignition tume^to that mag^emlyr* The newly pitched prop was returned on schedule and prositly installed. *^^tuxned to 3000 rpm's, but gave no increase in speed. The flat-pitched prop was important, however, since the original prop would turn ^700 at racing speed, right in the middle of the bad vibration range prohibited by Lycoming, the engine's manufacturer. The engine had been installed with down thrust and right thxust to counteract the tendency to rise and pull to the right under full throttle. For racing, it would be better to have the engine point straight away^^^W^ hoisted the el^tne and installed washers to effect the change, and the speed went up two mphyto 141. Upsetting news arrived from U.S.A.R.A. The race �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 11 Norm Weis pilot* were voting oa-ar boycott for higher prise money* I pleaded ignorance of the problem and entered a null vote* The extra money would be welcome* but Z didn't want to see my first and only race cancelled. The same day* I received notice that my low flying over the speed course was not appreciated. The owners of the land beneath toy course objected "to that guy stormin' over ten times a day." My good buddies at the airport began calling me "Stormin' Normin," a vast improvement over "Number One Nit Wit." Three miles from the original speed course, Z found an even better twox*mile stretch. Only cows occupied the land beneath. Taping and filleting the Junctions from wing to fuselage, and gear leg to wheel pant/*w»h- brought another mile an hour. Disconnecting the carburetor heat hose brought an astounding increase of four mph. Th* speed now stood at a very respectable 147 mph. We spent hours fiddling with changes in the t^^ Ing, going from around ^l^degrees advance to^^degrees and ^egweee, and once, accidentally, to(^degeeea. Every change brought a loss of rpm's and an attendant loss of speed. The plane was sensitive to weight. slower with a full tank of gas. for racing to be six gallons. She was much We calculated the minimum gas That would leave a two-gal Ion landing reserve after £ach heat of six laps. 2-52 �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 11 We could^ think of no other changes that might bring greater speed. The plane was ready. Now it was time to see that I was edeo-ready^XrO According to the rules, I must be able to take off from a dead stop at full throttle, with less than ten ■-foot de­ viation in course. plane lansl- he diwed to 1.3 times the maximum level speed, or about 180 raph, and pulled out with 4 g’s or more. I would also have to demonstrate a full roll, and show that I was safe on the pylons. Only the last item posed a problem. 1 had a strong tendency to climb on low-level turns, and badly needed some practice on the rac^^^urse. Lacking proper pylons, I chose three cottonwood trees spaced a quarter mile apart on some flat irrigated landZ^^awelBg She ifn* of the landowner,^— /oyswi|n^*a{)out the treesfull bore, trying to hold the wing a constant twenty feet off the ground^ It was unnatural and difficult, s«d-^p|qulrelf^reat concentration. Each session with the trees left me we^wltft a-blit scared, but strangely exhilarated, I wondered how I would handle flying the same steep banks at low level while flying tight formation with other planes.^‘^ere was no way, short of racing, to practice that maneuver. We were ready, with almost a week to spare! more bad news arrived from U.S.A.R.A. Then The old rule limiting horsepower to 125, and displacement to 290 cubic inches, had , a �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 11 Norm Weis 4/^ been liberalized tQ4150 horse and 320 cubes! change had been months ago, In fact, the rule we were only now made aware of it. , . Pat Day immediately called Dave Forbes to object. MM MO Mt *s Dav^calmly explainednnQftr '*^ere wouldn’t be more than one^r'''two~planes with the higher horsepower,** ’Jla»e-- igfefe ^and the final legality of the change might be altered at the first pilots* meeting at Reno.***^ MSt finished preparing his new Cobra biplane, and was anxious to race it. He would be flying out from Crystal Lake, Illinois, and would call us when he left. He express >d a hope that we could fly part way together* X sudden flood of mail arrived from race pilots I never met, askink support for their stand on a fresh disagree- ment among members of U.S.A.R.A. One of the Formula One racers had been disqualified'Xot* use of illegal substances in his oil and fuel. He objected, aTqd he had a lot of sympathetic allies. The problem I m^d hoped would heal Itself had erupted again This time peop the sides had hired lawyers. were choosing up sides, and The\:ontroversy sapped our enthu- siasm, but we continued with our pla^. We would fly the 800 miles to Reno together on Saturday, kee^ng Sunday in “bad weath reserve" to Insure making the Monday deadline. Join us via airliner in mid week. \ - Our wives would ! I �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 11 Norm Weis The day before we left^ word arrived that the boycott had been voted down, and its originator, the president of U.S.A.R.A., was under fire from several groups, including the Reno Race promoters. The world of racing was in one hell of a mess, but the Second Sweetheart Racing Team, outfitted in brand new bright jackets, was deter­ mined to persevere. We loaded up on schedule, slept little that night, then set out early the next morning on our great excursion into the confused world of air racing. �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Reno Stead Airport appeared deserted as I swung overhead's enrching out thj ■i;i"" t-nrt ■ i 11 pun., ths ^rird f Ian Hi -ng-—single plane, probably Dave Forbes* Cobra, sat on the ramp tkat ^iiould aooif^uld hiiinriinod c. pickup truck dusted its way past the long row of empty grandstandsJ?ad g rj_H wbi t-Q n1 hy one tall black and white checkered pylon thaXread "RENO" from top tn briti-r.m in 1 m-Qn >1. ..1. 1.1 Illi- ! *1 little ?_r.dicaticn ^There was the excitement and controversy that would center on this lonely spot during the next few days when the Thirteenth (an omen?) Annual Reno National Air Races got underway. eac d ibandingi The mr I put Second Sweetheart down tail high and �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm.Weis on the wheels with extra speed. 'JA'pickup joined my path t-bp pl 0-0 0 qIcvtpH lead to the ramp. and I followed ofc thn map jumped out and guided me to a parking spot alo-ngoi^e what was indeed Dave's othe’f gentleman walked to the cockpit and handed in a hillcrj mmplx of What a welcome! Dave wandered over smiling T Agreed do al~ way Lu -LdLL abmut hiu jpcud Ull LllLi' Lflp We had taken off from Elko together two hours and ten minutes earlier, minutes al'iLud lyf wau he had igiround twenty His new racing biplane was fast -- about 30 mph faster than the Starduster. Crystal Lake, Illinois be and had s nt th night at Cheyenne, Wyoming,/with the understandi/g that h would meet the Casper c along the way/sometime Saturday morning. Husted had own Pat's Cessh for most o the trip. time in e day Pat 182 alongside When Da oose three plane formati tingent y and Bob econd Sweetheai t joined up< we flew for a V nances in cruise speed always brought separation between met, separated and re-met fr from Cas eno. -W- along the 770 mile route �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis Pat and Bob arrived as the second round of beer was passed. The hangar flying was well under*^ay. Right in the middle of a particularly good story, Red Blackbum sputtered in with his Pitts Special. He had been pumping fuel by hand for the last hour and was fiXumb worn out. Over the threshold, Red’s arm and the engine died at the same time. r.nrkpi »• .* ye all rode out on the truck nnd VfQVOd to offer aid, comfort/and welcome. HaH.: lb" pi I klip I the rlinbpH h: TTnnt-pd nntbing rnnro to du Lowed in,—STrf-Cet'liig Lhu tLlLical ouggojLIouj .liv jw- vp TijFU ro'^rorh'^c'^.i; c ?-n-nor-v ith Red lackbum properly rescued flying re/umed. The/quality of the stories i it? t-b tb 2 hangar rove as the erry Duty, Director of t e Reno Air Races, beer di/appeared. was h(/Lding court, and when Jerry got warm d up, th; stories roll d out with r al elegance. He reach/d a peak w .th the taJ/e about the Cu and the motorcycle. ave the world's Air Races.' called me clai to s it's 'perfeck for he down in New Mexic Fell reatest act. S Says he s going to pick up a guy from a motor- cycle with his Cub. I im the act was a dime a dozen, �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 No,rm Weis sut he goes on -- says he's going to do a loop wi^ this otl^r guy hanging on to the end of the ladder! /I told him L^d be there the next day. out at 5^is dirt strip. I met him an^his buddy He had the sicke^^ old 65 horse Cub stillKalive, and a ladder made out his old lady's \ / \ clothesline>^nd four broom handles, takes off in the Cub and comes N^arrelling down the runway. The guy on the bike can't catch-up with him, so they try again, and on the third try the ^y on the bike grabs the ladder, but won't let go of the bike. Finally he lets go of the ladder, and the fellow\n the Cub lands. talk it over. The two of them I could se\ they had never tried the act 'cause the guy wit^hVhe bike had just found out / \ that when he climbs the Iadder\ his bike is going to go before, exhaust pipe over handle bars. \ "They deai.de to try it\gain, and this time the guy on the bike get/s a firm hold on the bottom rung the first try. He l^s the bike go and surX enough, it turns stacks over handlebars. Well, the Cub isn\t doing too good a job oy flying, and the guy on the ladder is climbin' to keep frota being drug to death, but the Cub ^ill ain't climbingy Pretty soon his hands and feet are on the top rung, ^d his posterior is draggin' a furrow down t^ strip." �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis By now, Jerry Duty has the audience t^nsported. Pat Day can't\ stop laughing. Husted is hugging/nis belly, and Red Blackbum's eyes are running tears cl^r to his mustache. / \ "FinaJSly the guy flying the ^fub gets a little edge on his air speM and he climbs a^ouple of feet. They pass over the barbed Vre fence at ?the end of the runway, the poor soul on the laqder all buckered up, clearing the top strand by an inch or two. /it takes them half a dozen wide circles to get six hundred jfeet. back down to the bottom rong By now the gent has climbed the ladder. They come a diving down doing nearw 90 mil^ an hour, right over the top of me, the guy or/ the ladder h^ging on for dear life, hoping for a chanc/ at fame and fortune. The Cub starts up in a loop but/poops out just past thU. vertical. The gent on the la^ider falls back onto the bo^om of that plane while it's u/side down. First time I'd ever\seen a plane entered frenn the bottom. Somehow they get the\^b turned over, an/ the ladder-man crawls into the cockpit.\ / "They land and walk over, all smiles, thinking I'd hire them on the spot. Sure was tough to tell themXno, sp^ially since they volunteered to practice the act. tmey 'could perfect it a little.' " SaiX \ �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 12 Ten 0/ us toow turns trying to top that storyy' ) The beer had long since disappeared, but the tales conbinued unabated. Th^e was something magic about the momey as ten pilots face^each other in k circle permeated wi^ good will and fine htanor, surrounded by the lonely barrel/ sands and tarred mnways of a deserted air base. EveW man was a pilot /f experience, and every story rang/memories full ci role. / Failing light broke\the spep/f and one of lifej^x j?d^e moments came to a reluctXpt^^end. Monday morning the crew of Second Sweetheart went to work. We installed the racing prof/and removed the carburetor heat hose. For some odd reason/^^e race course was closed, ^o tests with the plane had to be done on the basis of rpm’s and indicated air speed. On the first try the engine wound up to a disappointing ^900 rpm, and the air speed needle seemed stuck on 138. the timing to Bob Husted advanced degrees and I tried it again, satisfied this time to see the tachometer reach 3000 rpm, and the indicated speed 140 mph. We tucked the plane away in a comer of the hangar, gathered up a multitude of papers^^nd headed for race headquarters to register officially. �Norm Weis Chapter 12 Adventures in a Biplane Later we looked over the list of contestants. There were twenty planes entered in the Racing Biplane Class, and only the sixteen fastest would be permitted to race. we ranked ^)th, we were out of the race. ^venteen was my race number, and £tiiiiii1 I had gi If i i"f’! ife I hoped it had no hidden meaning, but at the moment it looked unluckier than the traditional thirteen. To qualify we would have to beat four other planes. mntirn thn fireld; there were only two planes, both Smith Miniplanes, that we Tip rnnlH bnnt- ■ While Pat and Bob fussed over the plane, I wandered about the ramp, worried about not qualifying^ apprehensive about closed-course pylon racin^^ yi oase—i rU H qn/Alify n±b°rc doing T Lilt sacmod too dangeroboorvad fljlH^. I'hI ^TW^:^~?5Tth my pi a-ng rinill ijjg. nn ■vnmp I Hbir TTiei.TWqq A llttlp f V1 £ll f l‘IT- ^hose damned pylons were soli^ telephone poles with heavy steel culverts on top. dead! wwd Just touch one, and yox/^ Dead like the T-6 pilot at last year’s race. His wing tip touched the barrel and his plane ended up in, cmnll pinrna over a hundred yards of desert sand. The prospect was unsettling. �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Tuesday morning the^WbftA course was declared open. Dave Forbes, Red Blackbum/^nd I took off to run the fl lap add promptly wag'gled hltl Wings 4t the home pyl<^, then heUj^*a^ teady altitude u?ffVl he is lap time/^arteq at that again reached Zhe home^^lon. point, and ^ded wj>dn he again I assed t>fe checkered pylon. His qualif/iimztime, posted lat >ai<*was 1 minute 18.2 seconds. for a speed of 138.2 mnb — m^l Hi '-mml uiiti n. n nn T_ r- 1 ^'cl'xd mycrlf tried flying straight legs. Qi.qtant 1 minute, 17.6 spmxxd^. banking steeply at each of the six corner pylons dotted along the hexagonal course* sa6>ond3, oQ^ abandoned the ideay\^and concentrated on flying/*^ a smooth oval^&Burog^ More practice would cut the Iwpr time, and I decided on qualifying later in the week. There was much Xo- be(/ ,\4^eti flying learnei^ about low-level pylon flying. wide open at low altitude, one must push forward on the stick while banking around the pylons, quite the opposite of the back pressure^ ordinarily used in turns. wide on pylon six, and at an alt\- de of fifty feet. ew smac was ake. into Dave Forb anding o 11 opposite c a wi rols. and re sing to Several long recover in spi of seconds later. cond Sweetheart popped into level flight, miraculously still at fifty fe.e±------ T realized at that moment 2.6/^ �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis ery race pilot must demonstrate his ability alrtraft without lot altitude If you hit t c^tivel/, the pl fli 8 inverted and you to get it ight w thout lose of altitude and roll. onse day I flew the x^equlred str ter in take off fr 11 the full thrbttle, dead stop, /and the required div ter divii^ to 180 mph to rove the plane could the 1.3x pruise speed, 1 immediately/executed the roll wlthou itltud., ...i lose of climbed, rolled inverted. Lt in a cubsin, and finished up with two hanlnexheads. old time nee^i do only the oneroll* I told him I hated to waste the i speed and altitude pn one little roll. some length. rently he fi We discussed aerobatic information awa would hear from him later YU^^^'^^^^/S^emergency meeting was called for Racing Biplane pilots^that-^dUaBaaea. {United pglia The controversy raging within the U.S.A.I.A* Baring AtSTtislrlTn) had reached a dangerous Several pilots, disqualified during a previous race, had arrived in Reno, ready to claim their right to race. The member- ship had polarised over the controversy^ JZhe four race classes /la » ^»eh sides t ah* dissident Formula One pilots eaid most of the ^631 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis ;h« rMHiinder « «ttii^e<rt;o bfihft th! faces to appeagi most Ay meshed he weu �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 voted unanimously to hire uiiplcy guards to protect One pj/lots made er. sign: evicted planes during each night of race week. rnpptj o-r.Ho/1^ e mist e of flying the R He was invited to 1 b ■ . I ii'il I I U oicourse wi e, res , and wfes ating^ and I wondered if The controversy huLl-J. ... ..................... .. r.T.Q J._... t-n <-bn -rarp rmi-roo I l[l'1 ITN" 1.11 Illi |1 — Everything appeared normal at the mandatory general pilots' meeting the next morning. The F^A^Aj^went through its rules, stressing two new favorite terms — "sterile and "sanitary," both having to do with keeping the race course free of interlopers. The Race Director laid out the recall signals and changes in qualifying procedures. At the end of s were^asked^^il^^,?«rt? “TCHgwi^ to please the meeting, fill out a questionnaire ^e-.<ia1i;ai'tnainiQ. the mental makeup of the typical race pilot. Most pilots^feft ¥qiin^ giving the would-be immediately,^giiri researcher one very valid bit of information: ^^ce pilots don't give a hoot for psychological research. The Racing Biplane pilots metiZmmedlately after ► egaii Lu gel l~hri irlrn I'Inis the general pilot briefin; me raci la or. x.7i t-b flying. ver, smce The meetr the "rules of the roadXj^*®*®"^*****®*®^ - ' o We all agreed that A**l>*<^ �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 the overtaker was to pass well outside or well over the passee, and that all pilots should choose a track and stick with it without sudden rise or sink. So far seven biplanes had flown their qualifying We could beat two of them, Red Blackburn’s Pitts, laps. and Mortenson's Miniplane; but we had to beat two more in order to qualify for the race! ypt- fini.m Tbp Up knew wp mu Id beat him n tbat ...La ft one to » We analyzed the opposition, looking for aircraft that the Starduster could top. We couldn't find one! Second Sweetheart hadn't been built for racing and carried less power than her competitors, 125 h.p. vs 135 h.p., and in one case, 150 h.p. Things were tense. and I was the pressure. irritable Husted and I argued over engine changes. wife, Gonnic, and and Pat agreed with neither of us. llLlI-k '-"111 willin he p ble o halp but off fiipojind Slowly we resolved our differences and set to ork/o We removed the chute, radio, emergency survival flares, tie-down ropes and lo^^ooks. I agreed to fly without shoes, empty my pockets/^d swear off liquids until the plane was qualified. We moved the timing ahead to^^^^ �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 12 degrees and taped the oil cooler three-fourths shut to raise the running temperature and thin the oil. We even covered/^e rough wing walks ovea* with furnace tape! After rolling the plane from the hangar, we drained the gas until only three gallons remained, then Heiwg LU-11 LttU waited our turn e Ke course maki H ^c**^'*^ finally arrived. niiT <!Prnnd We had forty minutes to test the plane and qualify. I flew the first two laps at reduced throttle, letting the oil temperature climb to 200 degrees, then opened wide and leaned the mixture to achieve maximum power^ Sfee— Ian f imrr A bothersome crosswind was slowing me up and fooling me on the^pylons^n?aught myrnluf rounding npiiTind pylons, dangerously close — so close I had to stand on a wing to prevent crossing over the barrel. goo Finally lap, but the stoj^atch read 1 minute, 19.2 seconds -- much too slow. I landed and taxied to the ramp. Bob Husted raised the cowl and eyeballed the timing back to his special ^^degree mark, and Pat Day pulled off the furnace tape that had lifted from the wing 3^ �Norm Weis Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 12 walk and was now doing more harm than good. The fellows in the gas tmr.k^iJiTdP-r«;thnHgL7hoTT; T gcVori fhalf a gallon dHlb engine sound I conce was 1: the upwin ated on t e turns, swinging wide turns ,yhnticipating t e downwind turns. fl8.5 on the next ead stop watch The first lap time ett ap but the ly ten minutes of qua wrist showed tch on my fhg time remaining. We had to beat Red Blackbum’s time of 1 minute and 18.2 econds I had a smooth lap going -- the turns were shallow and even with the pylons passing only a few feet 1 fl Tri de my wing. At the home pylon I punched the watch and stole a quick look. 1:18.1 -- /reat! I cleared the watch and continued around the course, low and smooth. Past pylon six I headed straight down the home stretch, wagging my wings, signaling that I wanted to be timed for qualification on my next pass.,. WJield my min?enlrafir noting t-hp "-iid the intn position tn r.hpr.k for nylon--------- 77t±s. -.1 rtJilicd the otop •..~atch after rcvnding The starter at the home pylon waved a green flag at my approach. —.. I punched the stop watch at the exact moment of passage, then concentrated on each turn, approaching wide * �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 or close as the wind dictated, dropping lower for increased speed in ground effect, passing the barrels at eye^^evel, pushing forward on the stick at every turn, concentrating, always concentrating. The lap felt good. Pylon five and six went by without a bobble, and I headed for home. The checkered flag waved as I punched the watch and zoomed sharply to altitude, letting the prop wind down before reduc ing thro 111e. seconds. It was the best the little Sweetheart and I could do, and with a'^X^tSe luck, it would be enough to qualify. I swung in for a landing as the allotted time expired. While Bob stowed the plane in the hangar, Pat j- n It looked rrke- we were in ~~ the last figures were being posted: 138.817 miles per hour! ^h position. No. 17, Weis, 1:17.8, speed Second Sweetheart had qualified in We hustled back to the hangar to hug wives and break the news to Husted, who promptly drove to town for a bottle of champagne. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis With the plane qualified and ready to race, there was time to tour the ramp and look over the entriey^ in other racing classes. / The Formula One hangar was a beehiVe of activity as specially made trailers gave birth to sha^p-edged wings and slim wiieel-mounted bodies. The assembled race planes were remarkably similar, demonstrating t^ state of the art was well advance^ In each case, a fl^ straight wing met the body at mid hei^t just behind the tightly cowled engine. Tail assemblies were miniscule with/elevators only slightly larger than cookie sheet\. The cj/ass rules required the area of the wing to be at least \6 scmare feet, and the total empty weight of the plane to be at l^st 500 pounds. Engines were limited to 200 cubic inches,/but\pm's were unregulated. tachometers read to 5000 rpm's. Most A few had red lines painted on / the face at 4500. In spite o& the bustle of activity, the hangar was oddly quiet. Th^se not involved in ass^bly or repair were gathered in sy(all, intent groups. The conversation stopped as I app/oached and heads turned in suspicion as I passed. The l^ngar was electric with controversy. 0ne knot of half a dozen pilots and crew teembers seemed les^ serious. I joined the conversation. The subject was cheat/ing -- who does it, and how it’s done, and how not 272. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 to get caught. Norm Weis The introduction of compounds of manganese or cobalt in the fuel could raise horsepower greatly. Even added to hhe oil, a 5% increase in power could b^achieved due to blow^*^y around the rings. Carburetor throats could be polished to^ larger diameter and intake tubes enlarged, or cylinders bore\out for increased displacement. Nitrous oxide introduced in ^e fuel could raise/horsepower drasti­ cally. The rules forbid any access fr/m the cockpit to the oil or fuel lines that mi^t permit -surreptitious injection from a bottle hidden in a fright ^it. half the planes in the hangar One conversant claimed illegal engines. Pilots hesitated to file complaints,/an^even then, with fellow pilots acting as judges, the inspecrfcions were often biased, or as one irate crew chief claimed, tfte inspectors themselves could rig the evidence to get rid of competition. The T-6 pilots were of a diffe^nt sort. The tight competition With closely matched aircra^st seemed to attract a super cj^mpetitive type of individual, rptent on / racing rather /^han circumvention of the rules. Only World War II At-6^ or SNJ's were permitted in the class. Both designatiptis referred to the same plane commonly called the TEXAN, but universally referred to as the T-6 Pilots in otheiyclasses enjoyed explaining that the T in T-6 stood �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis for TRAINER, but they found it harder to explain the T-y pilot. To race such large machines in close formatic^ around the\small course took great skill and uncom^n abandon. Some claimed\he T-6 pilots were nuts. Others said it was simply an over ^veloped aggressive nature. Tine aggressive quality was evident in the names printed iiy large letters on their planes - DONTREAD ON ME! GOTCH^ COMIN THRU! MISS BEHAVIN -- then,\as if to dispro\^the rule -- MISS EVERYTHING. \ / The Unlimited, pilots ^emed to be invisible. The crews were almost always on ham, working or standing guard, but the pilots were generally elsewhere. Many had mobile campers parked along side therr aircraft, offering air condi­ tioned escape from the exsert sun and talkative visitors. Most of the Unlimited/owners wereXwell heeled. They had to be, since planes and sj^re engines ran ^ell into, and sometimes past five figures. Ahl of the aircraft we\e modified World War II Fighters, mainly Mustangs and Bearcats.\ Rocket and jet- powered cra:^ were not allowed, making thX Unlimited Class in reality/quite limited. Perhaps Limited \ould be a more proper ^ass name, since the shortage of fighter planes has recenf^ly become acute. \ Only sixteen had signed up for the 1976 races. �Adventures in ~a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis and three of those had failed to arrive, and a fourth had with­ drawn for unknovm reasons. Other World War II planes oiyQiand for demonstration,\although not adapted for racing, w^e draft­ ed to till the field\ Biplane and Formula One piloj/s, generally envious of the Unlimi^d prize money, took the slynrt field as a sign of terminal illnkss, commenting to the ^fect that the Unlimiteds were an endan^red species. Somey«mall-plane pilots were convinced the National. Air Races woul^be better off with­ out the Unlimiteds. They contended the Unlimiteds' 55% share of the prize money could be bXtter speht on the other classes, failing to realize that without^ the ^ig planes, the crowds would shrink and the purse money dwindl^ Meanwhile, Unlimited pilots argued the prize money was inad^i^te. Even first place money of $12,000.00 hardly covered ^e co\t of a blown engine, and engines blew frequently. / \ The biplane hangar seemed\to be the only happy place on the ramp. We ^ad more good humqr, more honest friendship, and more Meetings than any otl^r racing class. We averaged three rivetings a day, and I had\iust missed one while touring th^ramp. However, I arrived iX time to catch Red Blacl^um's description of his recent\accident. /A few months ago, Red had patterned \n for a land­ ing at an afirport near his home in Lompoc, Californi^. He checked the air for planes, then flared out over the runway. \About �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Norm Weis twenty feet off the ground a Cessna 172 materialized under the Pitas’ nose, but it was too late. The Pitts chewed the tail of ^e 172 into small pieces, and worked its way for-/ ward, stopping just short of the cabin. The $27,000 Cesraa was totaledX and Red's biplane was severely damaged, ^d complained th\t his Pitts had been slower ever since /he had rebuilt it, and\figured that was the reason Second /Sweetheart had out-qualified\him. / Whenev^ Red was in earshot, we ma^ it a point to call the Stardust^ "The Pitts Killer." Ms red walrus mustache invariably signalled a reprisal aA he sauntered over to offer an insult oS: two. the BIG IRON?" "How's tilings going with The Stardu^er had a sp^an two feet greater than his Pitts and was one o:k the Ingest biplanes in the field. "Don't know how that mmsMr qualified faster than me -- you sure that ain't a two^lacer with one seat shut off?" As friendly as thy rivalry was, we weren't about to tell Red he could obtaiiVanothery to 10 mph by removing his carburetor heat hosey We had to have someone to beat, and as we frequently tyfld Red, we woul<l rather beat him than anyone. / \ Odd tj?fings were happening on me race course. A plane had ground looped on landing and flapped upside down. The owner, wHo had a backup craft, told the Mlot to be more �Adventures in a Biplane eful, because ou-al Chapter 12 Norm Weis ormula 0 le pilot turned i w^s caught /fitting ever) pylon, inclu n Unli ted pilot had qn engine a record la but ng the home pyloi^! ilure at the end of hi a thousand feet, then He climbed t qualifyrun. H are down to your la li erally dove for the runway, landed hot, rolled the lengt f the runwa the pilots' briefing the next morning TTLe explaiiidcT? start ten minute warning .would— Vfiias then a red flag would be waved at 5, 4, 3,Zand 2 minutes. The assistant starter would check all planes for hP readiness one minute, the red flag would jy-aa-and-afeef up until ten seconds to go. At that point, a green flag would be caiaed. When it fell, the race was on. Any further flags would from the home pylon. JSf^ll^ow wearu caution, flag as red p*..:d'" cancellation^ and g j''' black ’’get off the course Shortly after the meeting adjourned, J 1y ..7-; level jet aircraft fly-by and a spectacular display by a team of female parachutists. The Reno National Air Races were underway! The eight fastest biplane qualifiers were to fly first in the Heat lA race jgiQOQi followed soon after by -The Co^eud SinmnlhiiiLart Bgaw Heat IB d ?1 Ty .2,-77 �Adventure* in a Biplane Chapter 12 Nott Wei* a* the plane* lined up for the £ir*t heat, taking particular note of the tail-holding technique. Don Beck in hl* Sorceress took an early lead with Pat Hines close behind. Dave Forbes fought it out with Don Fairbank* for third place, and Tom Wrolstad and Tom Aberle carried on a battle behind, with Wrolstad cutting a pylon in the tpoces*/ Beck, Hine* and Forbes finished one, was with the technique rather than two, three, but ay concern was.with the competition. I the top pilots flew smoothly, with minimum change in bank and little variation in altitude. Formula One races were under way a* the Biplane* Heat IB pilot* met to determine their etarting positions. fastest qualifiers were given first choice. The Starting slots one through six were taken In order^^^ chose position eight, the $4.nre J’ wn* frhe iiiiljn ■gWOut I figured it would outside slot. put other* at ease if I stayed out of the middlsi^ eW^ he much easier for me if iniad/o^ IQiad^i^a man on my left to look out for We pushed our plane* the quarter mile to the starting line Special» Dense F^**y hfr Pfirirt fw bi« ■mIimiisl .ned to look him -«595 �Adw&Cutet In a Blplana Chapter 12 Nom Weis The take«*o££ would be tricky — right rudder would be required to prevent sliding into Red Blackbum on ny le£t. ^79 �Norm Weis Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 At the ten-minute signal, I took off my shoes and climbed aboard. Pat swung the prop a few times and the Bob leaned into the c engine beck, the The red flag the five-fliinute warning and the assistant starter down the line pointing his rolled up flag at each pilot until he received a "thumbs up" in return. The flag waved again and Lbc1 btaut The si Three minutes, and the relay line, to—piiefr. was repeated. At two minutes, Pat and Bob took position/ at the tail. With one minute to go, the red flag went up and stayed up. I advanced throttle to |500 rpm’s and checked the engine instruments once more -- everything was normal. The red flag was down -- the green flag was up — ten seconds to go! 1 tromped on the heel brakes, opened the throttle wide, released the parking brake/^d set the mixture at the predetermined mark. Eight pilots, holding full throttle, turned their heads to face the starter. Eight planes strained against brakes and tail-holding crews. Tail surfaces buffeted in hurricane-like propeller blasts. Tail crews squinted against the wash, eyeing the green flag, awaiting the moment of release. The flag is down! Pat and Bob release the tail. At the same instant my heels come off the brakes, and Second d �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Sweetheart leaps forward. Norm Weis In moments the tail rises and I concentrate on he controls firm up and the plane i■ ght on the wheels. I ease back on the stick and we leave the ground. a fi to the lef we are in first place, but positions ahead. ed Blackburn‘S slot sever]) is several hundred feet behind. Win Kinneryear old veteran race pilot, is still on take|-off roll. He drifts toward the edge of the ramp^feeling the down wash of nearby plane^^ ^/His left wheel hits the dir^asd'Yhe plane slews, cartwheels horizontally, and flips over T4r nil bnpppns in thp .jl n-P- , Cuy. Ahead of me, five planes are strung out in a line, bending into the first pylon. I curve in behind, wide open, intent on fly- ing a tight^ smooth course. I hold wide on number two, letting the wind carry me in close. The wind is dead behind as I approach pylon three. I pull tight around the pylon and crab on the straighf^^way, immitating the track of the planes ahead, setting up early for pylons four and five, then easing off for six as the plane turns into the wind. Red is just behind, heading for pylon six as I line out for the home pylon, crabbing slightly to the right. I scan Win Kinner’s wrecked aircraft as I pass. iiM* L.iiiptjT' i'Tt ‘J...2 I thank God his plane didw t> bumA i cn th* JHlblift.ndijrnrp.jyetQin Harl annmi-nrod lUdlWSU �Chapter 12 Adventures in a Biplane i i-ii-l ^^pcatcdly that H-.."' Noirm Weis J..-' 'J;.y h";iT it t.U- true ok Kei? up? of. I can't seem to gain on the plane ahead. He is wide open too, trying and failing to gain on the plane in front of him. Each time I enter a straightaway I check behinc^ ^^ed is always there, less than a pylon behind^ behind him is a little black Mong, the stand-by after Win Kinner cartwheeled. alternate, launched Below I can see the judges looking upward through the empty barrels of the pylons^^M any part of that cutting the pylon. n1 g-no ■■ qirrrrfW is visible ____ pI 1 u -TTryil H I ui 1 I'm having trouble with pylon two — the wind continually puts me in too close. Twice I have to back off, then stand the plane on end to avoid cutting pylon. Each time I swear to take the turn wider the next lap. Each pylon is visible between the wings as I approach. but as the bank steepens, behind the upper wing. pyi-ar» disappears I duck my head to prolong the view, then stretch my neck to find the pylon again as it comes in to over the top wing^a bare 100 feet ahead. My shoulder straps inhibit the motion, but there is no time to make an adjustment. course. At pylon six I back along the Red is now a pylon and a half behind, with the Mong �Adventures in a Biplane still trailing. Chapter 12 Norm Weis A white flag waves as I obviously a mistake, since I have four laps. the home pylon, only three or The next time around, the planes ahead zoom up off the coursecheckered fI pass. I can't believe the six—lap race is over. finished sixth, and Damn, that was fun! InipuIiJ.iiL'lj , hml survived the traffic and the pylons. The fear I had e:^ected pyl I i 1 J g-t~ T not materialized, and vTonld bavp l-i J landed in number—six position, then taxied to the ramp for a special welcome from Jay and the crew, one of whom still carried my shoes. The rains ■ciame as we pushed Second Sweetheart into the hangar. The crowds fled and the race was canceLted for the day, but the pilots, at least the biplaners, stuck around, some making adjustments, others making conversation. I asked Red what he thought of Second Sweetheart now, and he jieplrgd -to tke^^ffueit that it was kinda purdy, even if it was oversize. f If Husted, busy checking the timing, aarbew him UFLUL "Yeah, Red. That view from the behind is really fetching, ain't it?" Dave Forbes wandered over and presented me with small blue card that pylon race pilots earn of their first race. He welcomed me in small fra term ty^^*U»-;*»« exclusive one. completion a �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 Saturday was wet and drippy. Norm Weis A dying typhoon had limped ashore and bogged down ■eaaek u»ev aha California-Nevada border! but heat lA of the Formula One race went off a8*^a^pact4S^* I watched with contestant's eyes* seeing only techniques* close eallaZ^^ cut pylons, Jirf^Wygner wen the race* puzzling many uf Ll'Rr uliiei vena, with he retail high ritiddiun^ turns, seem­ ingly added to her speed. Four planes took to the air for the Unlimited Medallion Race/^st as word was passed for the biplane pilots to get ready. We busied ourselves with the plane raissi^ the Unlimited contes^ which we later learned was won by John Wright at a modest 352 nph. We rolled our planes out of the hangar as the T-6 pilots took off. You can't Ignore a T-6 race noise is horrendous. They don't go as fast as the Formula Ones, Iw-fsrt they wmild-have rmuhle bealilBg Lltr fasLei. iMt all that neAee makes them seem faster, A bad start was aiSMMed.on the*T"^MedaMism M&ce/btt^-awM-Xa Ktplitstlei^ two T^ pilots went three laps7"^ssing three black flags before they noticed they were racing alone. The T-6 race was re-run as we pushed our planes down the quarter mile Iffiag ramp for the Silver Race, the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 12 final race for Second Sweetheart. eight. Norm Weis I had again chosen slot Tom Wrolstad had been bounced down to our race for cutting a pylon in heat lA, and Stan Brown, winner of our first race, had been moved up to the Gold or Championship Baca. Our takeoff would^of necessity be down wind, Aho wfawl had increased tozl^knots. longer as Takeoff rolls j result. We spaced out along the starting line with barely a wing span between planes, and waited for Bob Hoover to finish his aerobatic act. Given the chance, I would have traded places with him Instantly. Strange how I could sit In gqt plane, lined up for my second big race and still envy the guy doing aerobatics overhead. J weadewed if X would eves beuums' ski lied aiiuugh" tbs Bce to perform In-front of a esewd like tehle-i—J: led hJ long»loftl g's. Movnia —His "gulls’ were atl-baTrels or<^ , rounded out v As ^cuspetltlon pilots he was sra >oth. expert dropping 0 I d 1 ^uld say — al plicata his one 8 kept positive sof 1 to 1 trick at It wou aerobatic I, but to else. tatlons that al stuff. But tate his eel land ings, and his the landl^ geaXlti mid roll ifere something to Incorpora some of his arching maneuvers Into my air show act, something I had to get serious about when I returned home. —. --------- Finally the ten minute signal was pass< �Adventuref In a Biplane line. Chapter 12 Korm Weis Pat propped the engine* then came over to the cockpit to Vioiti and give me a sales talk on the advantages of flying high around the pylons. Good old Pat* always takinietare of me* Hoover skimmed past* landing on one wheel* and the assistant starter passed down the row checking alignment of the eight aircraft. At five minutes the red flag went up and the thumbs-up ritual began. Red Blackburn looked our way as 1 passed my shoes to Husted. His eyes widened* his mouth droppedy^i^ his mustache wobbled a silent disapproval. gave him a thumbs-up. I He grinned and returned the sign* Ing like a character out of World War I — leather helmet* scarf, .amd eyes full of devil-may-care.^ I tightened the seat �belt and adjusted the shoulder harness^ belts Norm Weis Chapter 12 Adventures in a Biplane T fn-r safety or loo^» fal^Tts f l-Ll' get away. r------ VijibillTy' Pat and Bob gave me parting taps on the helmet and took position at the tail. green went up. i i the one minute signal I went to I -I iiiiii half throttle. pnni»i rHnnco The red flag dropped and the The plane strained at full throttle, eager to When the green flag dropped, Second Sweetheart surged, accelerating rapidly. We were off in seconds, leading the field Half way to the first pylon, six of us were flying briefly. abreast; then four planes drew ahead and formed in line. The black Mong to my left gained the edge, and I swung wide to avoid his wash. The pilot of the Mong was flying smoothly this time, avoiding his earlier square comers. slightly. At pylon three I checked behind. ing number one. His lead increased Red was just round­ "luajae"uuL With en- I concentrated on my flying, hoping to catch trrjMr. the Mong with six smooth laps. If I could close on him, he would probably revert to his old style, and I would have him. The wind moved me in to pylon six, and I backed off, ohal Ici.’irg HnnV then tightened up, banking steeply and losing speed in the process. wide The wind tended to carry me two and-^-kgo^ but I anticipated by aiming to the in­ side, feeling the drift of the wind as Second Sweetheart rounded dozen feet out, barrel level with the lower wing —» �A-dventures in a Biplane tip. Chapter 12 Norm Weis Pat's advice on flying high was forgotten. Though I had no chance of winning, the heat of the race would not permit conservative flying. 1 had the wind figured out, staying wide on five and six, and boring in on two and three. The Mong was closer now, less than a pylon ahead. I checked oil pressure and temperature on the next straigh^^-^ay, ad­ justed the mixture, noting the tachometer bouncing at ^150 rpm, then leaned forward to concentrate on a smooth turn around pylons one, two^^^d three. Wrolstad, flying 20 mph faster than the Sweetheart, passed me high and wide, but I never saw him. My eyes were where they belonged -- on the pylons. The Mong was even closer as we rounded number six and headed past the home pylon . Damn! There was the white flag -- only one lap left, not enough to catch him. Second Sweetheart and 1 would finish in sixth place again. I bored around the last lap fifteen feet off the ground anyway. in a vain attempt to catch the Mong, careful to rise to legal, eye-level height as I rounded the barrel^ lessly as the altitude. watchait help­ took the checkered flag and zoomed to I waggled my wings to acknowledge the checkered flag as 1 passed the home pylon, then climbed steeply — -............ — pilotj turned cii flnu.1 , t'j'i < - - L urr III............. ...... �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 12 About the thja^^ had it all figured^/dut, complete chaosV thaj/rascal, Red ^atkfurn, cut in :^ont, forcing^e into a serifts nf tn-ms tn nt^i■n'^ggfral^tion. Pilots and crews, all in high spirits, gathered in the biplane hangar. We raced the race again, passing out compliments and criticisms, and taking the same in exchange.. awii^—' eawiplaiinad final. The ban^Ta-^-iTiTg wi th abnirt^X^ laughter. We were still riHing High nn the excitement of competition and wp-r^ """ y.z hii..^ ' i niiiii jusi.ih Punn Perri, pilot of the black Mong, offered congratulations. I said kind words about his flying, then claimed I would have had him if there had been Red disagreed: "Hell, the way you guys were two more laps. flying, two more laps and I’d of passed both of ya!" I felt*^re^^*^tisfaction. The race had been a test, and I had passed. Other pilots apparently felt the same. It showed in their actions and in their words. Egos were at ease/^^^ was nothing left to prove. J fat..becalm and bi.implLLg'; Perhaps feeling that follows racers race wonderful successful confrontation with one's feeling of measuri^ up 'dffidng others who inner fear^^. Certainly it IzasrfM; the money. Our share of the purse was a bit over $500, and our expenses were triple ^ven the ^|2fiampionship purse for Racing Biplanes was less than $2,000. It couldn't be the recognition either. fit — �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 12 for there was little recognition Nom Welt or accepted pllots^No, ItZs not the money or the the company of confidence thaC brings the racer back to race again. > The rere was over for the crew of '8eco^°^ee We celebrated ^he evening mny and slept late Sixnd^y nopdi For a lhang there was no early meeting to attend at Sti ort in the middle of the first race*’ >bservlng w arrived the finish w.th only mild interest. We rooted Dave Forbes to a thi placB finish in the Biplane old Race, and watched Judy r, our favorite in the Fo la One Class, wind up in f I Our relaxed attitude t the races 1sharpened somewhat as the Unllmlteds roared down the runway gathered I ; in loose fonoation for a flying /start Nine planes \f lew along- side pacesetter. Bob Hoover, |ind with the traditiona "Gentlemen you have a race a most unusual contest statement, ot under way^ The planes then Crockd in P-51 number nine hrew a r re still hunched after the fii^st lap, r six, took a small lead and left the course rtly. Then the cohtra- rotating RB—5^1 lost/his blower and was forced to quit the race. Soon Clp.y abo called a "Mayday," and retired with/a �Adventures In a Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 12 I / had oil leak, leaving ^ly six planes on the course. Crocker, taking the pylons high a^ vide, caught the checkered flag first, folloved by Garditrar and Oreenconyer. Within minute^ Crocker was disqualified for flying over the deadline that separated the grandstand from the race course. Lefty Gardner became the winner, and Daryl Greenamyer, in a P-51, not converted for racing, took second. The planes that dropped out early and never crossed the finish line took The st,range race with the surprise fifth, sixth and seventh! finish brought to a fitting end 'one of the most controversial air races ever held. / f After the excitement of the National Air Races, it would be logical to assume the trip home would be unevent- ful. But that was not the case. / In clear blue skies over \ the wide open wastelands a dosen miles vest of Battle Mountain, Nevada, circumstances brought several lives\close to extinction. I was flying east, obeying the rules fox a change. ■ \ Planes flying to the east were supposed to fly at odd thou­ sands plus five hundrect feet. Earlier I had climbed to a cooler temperature, leveling accidentally at the proper \\ altitude of 11,500 feet, surprised to see that my comfort and the P.A.A.^s rules were both satisfied. The air was / \ smooth and the engine purred. Z was about to call Pl^|ht Service for >d.nds aloft, whan it happened. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 2 Norm Weis my head, then 2d in front on c, both planes Lme for fright, irget. The sen hidden be- ■ 2yed the rule, 2r about this 2S at Reno so 5ert floor amid scheduled for ns to lie where expected. �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis |2- PUSHING THE LIMITS < ivIuAisbai. 13 All things have a limit. X thought I had pressed the Starduster’s capabilities to the limit, but in realicy^had taxed only my own. priety and fear. My limit was that fine line between pro­ The Starduster*e limit, if reached, would be structural failure. The Starduster had suffered not the slightest bend or give. It was time to push the limit — my limit. If I Mlf^^to realize my dream of flying professional aerobatics, it was time to perfect some top-notch max^%^rers for ay act. �Aibzentures in a Biplane Chapter 14 None Welt Part of my enthusiasm was due to Nell Williams' new|9SlVBas9SBV*^ book on^j^robatice. Hie explanations concern­ ing simple maneuvers coincided with my own* We were both self- taught, but he had progressed far beyond my rudimentary level of competency. He could explain a complex move in a way that made you want to Jump Into the plane and try diately* Imme­ Since Second Sweetheart was not capable of sustained Inverted flight; some of the enticing maneuvers were beyond reacl^ {^wever the list of tshoev possible was^considerable. Perhaps the most exciting was the "dreaded" Inverted spin, which, according to the new book, was not to be dreaded at all* The design of most planes made the spin and the recovery easier Inverted than upright* Having frightened myself with accidental Inverted spins, I was determined to conquer t**.?.*doing a few on purpose. The air was calm and cool 7,000 feet above Golden Eye Reservoir* Smooth pasture land fronted the lake, offering safe landing In case th^engine stopped completely* I circled, check^ my procedure^ *tugglglg{'^ute straps tigh^'^^*'pulled up sharply, as If entering a loop, eased the stick forward • e pull^Vthe throttle all the way back* Speed dribbled away quickly as I held the nose high, still Inverted* She shuddered on the ddge of a stall and I Jammed In full right rudder and full forward stick* The world tdilrled and I counted the turns* f �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 13 Norm Weis After the second revolution, I janmed full opposite rudder, and ifhen the rotation stopped, pulled the stick back to point the nose down. The old master, Neil Williams, was right. head down was easier then upright. Spinning There was no feel of being thrown out, and the plane showed no reluctance to recover. big difference was visual. The When upright, earth and sky seem to circle the plane, but Inverted, no sky shosrdd at all I I tried another inverted spin of two turns, then three, and finally four, climbing each time to 7,000 feet and finishing ths last spin at just under 5,000 feet. The fishermen a mile below no doubt figured the spins were simply more of the same old upright variety they had seen me do at lower level, and probably wondered at my sudden conservative attitude. The 125 horses in the Starduster's nose didn't provide much of an up line. If 1 dived to 160, then smoothly pointed straight up, she would climb perhaps 1,000 feet before dying and falling back for lack of thrust. Falling back, tail first, in what is appropriately termiJa tailslide, could have serious consequences. is continued. The maneuver is safe as long as power The air blast from the propeller permits the elevators to act quite normally for that short interval before the craft swaps ends and heads straight for the grount^nose first. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 13 Norm Weis Bit with power off, it’s quite a different story. As the plane slides backward, the reverse flow of air exerts strong forces on the elevators, tending to force them full travel up or dovm. If the pilot is caught napping, the force is great enough to snatch the control stick out of his hand and let the control surfaces bang hard against the stops. The damage can render the plane uncontrollable} hence the bad stories and warnings concerning tail slides, especially accidental till slides. There are two ways to recover from a tail slide, and I was determined to try them both. From maximum altitude, I dove to 160 and pulled up, checking both wings for horizon posi­ tion, to ^sure a vertical track. As speed dwindled, I drew the throttle back, grabbed the stick in both hands and firmed ny feet on the rudder pedals. a moment it waasquiet. The air noise diminished. For Then the string on the "I" strut streamed out in front and air flew into the cockpit from the rear. slid back, gaining more speed than I wanted. We I was pointed too precisely perpendicular and the plane could not decide which way to flip. 1 pulled back slightly on the stick to help the plane commit itself to an upright recovery. Immediately the stick came all the way back. I could not hold it, only ease the bump against the stop. Instantly the tail whipped up and the nose down — over corrected itself until we were nearly in­ verted, then swung back, nose headed for the ground. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 13 Norm Weis I brought the plane level and felt out the controls* even loosened the shoulder straps and swiveled about to study the elevators. Everything appeared normal. 1 tried several more, taking care to climb at(^ degrees rather than^^ The slide back was shorter, and the stick forces easier to combat. The second variety of tail slides involved recovery ”on the back,’* with head down and eyeballs out. I pointed the plane straight up again, but leaned back at about 100 degrees this time, chopped the power and held the stick firmly, a bit forward ofccenter. The plane slid back, then abruptly whipped upside down, oscillated/^amd pointed down. Like the inverted spin, the advertisements were exaggerated. The move, although sloppy and imprecise, was fun and easy. Lifter, a thorough ground inspection of the tail assembly and elevator control linkage showed no signs of over stress. I counted it lucky that the first tail slide was more violent than needed. Now I could trust the plane's structural integrity for properly executed slides. Between practice sessions, I studied the possibility of installing a smoke system. A separate tank could be installed in the upper wing, with a flop tube and double vents* fanstallBd. A rechargeable battery could be installed anywhere, and it would drive an electric fuel pmp to send a special oil — �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 13 Norm Weis ^orvus oil -» through tubes to each exhaust stack. a lot of work, and quite a little extra weight. It involved I decided to postpone the project until winter. Friends who fly straight and level, in aircraft designed to fly straight and level, are ^^S^cme to questions my abiding passion for aerobatics. Why, they want to know, am 1 determined to try such things as inverted spins and tail slides^.. ^X^ings they were always taught to avoid at all costs. Ify �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis explanations are generally unsatisfactobyX hftt T Feel 1 muste“* try anyway. *** The plane is like any new toy#Mw a bicycle for example.^^u owned one,i^ng eeuess? ^^d you learned to ride i^at the expense of a few scraped knees and elbows? 4BiU4riMm ^ne day you had to try riding "no handseven if your perents thought it foolhard]^ Perhaps you even tried a wheeli^ I guess^^'^terS at birth. Every new skill reveals a new challenge. Once you can crawl, you strive to walk, and walking, you must learn to run, eaA> then jump/^'^id dance^ <<^Tt~Ts when you stop the process — when you think you have experienced it all -- that*4k»taryou begin to grow old. challenge is necessary to the way I wish to live, and SQT challenge Just happens to be aerobatics. But isn't it risky? ^ary^is Thoreau said, Perhaps, "Xt is life near the bone where it is sweetest.'* Torque rolls are beautiful and feel just W«e> they look, but the control motions are strange. Once pointed verti­ cally, full aileron is cranked in and the plane begins to roll. With eyes fixed on the left wings, the plane se«ns stationary, and the horizon becomes a passing blur. Prompt fore and aft motions of the stick keep the wings perpendicular to the whirl­ ing horizon. So far everything is easy, but soon the left wing begins to ride too high. Left rudder will bring it down, and -^01 �enturet in a Biplana Chapter 14 Noma Well when you've overdone it, a touch of right rudder will bring it back on the horizon. . , ’ . Handling stick and rudder UjtflUiti is like patting your head and rubbing your stomach. finement can be added. Once learned, a new re­ Wien the plane reaches the top and starts to slide back, the ailerons should be reversed so the wings can unscrew their way down, preserving the rotation. Other control motions remain the same, since full power still puts normal air blast over the tail. But only for ^hile. Soon the backward motion brings on more reverse flow of air than the prop wash can handle, and the plane sags over eeafety and oscillates to a downward path. Some planes can achieve three or four rolls on the upline, hang on the prop for another, then rotate two or three more turns on the way down. The Starduster, with a lesser roll rate, due to its lack of four ailerons, does well to get a three^ quarter roll up and a half roll down. It's mot much of a torque roll, so I prefer to call it a "rolling tail slide." Uhifferdill! What an exotic name for a maneuver. wanted to learn the maneuver if only to make use of the term. When I finally found out what it was^from an English friend, I realized I had been doing eiUm for more than a yea Mew tehey t a barrel roll that has its mind changed mi^^ay, or you could call it a super**steep lazy I �zentures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis eight, so steep the wings go past vertical to precisely in­ verted, then return. It is a long sweeping reversing maneu­ ver that keeps you pleasantly in your seat. . Square loops, diamond loopa/and eight-sided loops are simple from the pilot’s seat, but viewed from outside, first efforts look more like rectangles, squashed boxes/*and ellipses. The problem is with the timing* Speed changes are drastic, and to draw equal sides, one must fly for unequal times. For example, the first leg of a diamond loopj inward at should be held for a count of three, then the plane rdiited ^^^with ele­ vator, and the new course held for a count of five} another and htfld for a count of four (the engine and gravity are now working together), then a final two, then level. hfild it for a count of A ground obeerver can suggest slight changes in count and angle, and when mastered, the maneuver will look grand from the ground but seem all wrong from the cockpit. trol^ taka on a new stiffness and the wires a new higher-pitched howl. A glance at the aiiQipead indicator explains it all. new top speed has been reached. A I make it a practice to check both ailerons for incipient flutter (they would look extra fat) before reducing throttle and pulling out. Later I wobM move �Advanturat in a Biplane the red, Norm Wais Chapter 13 not exceed speed" line/up to a new position on the dial Cliittbii^ in and out of the Starduster wos/still a graceless ac In spite of special precautions, I f/aquently ran the stick vy pant leg Even when X toed the stick to the side and out of the way, the wind on the ailerons would and found it difficult*^ doing it on purpos by accident. foot. to match the planting of/ nave it back in S(»iie stick wouldn't ride X tried t was much easier y I would rework the^rim system so the the meantime, the center travel. best Z could do was leAva all my flared britches in the closet and weat the tight-cuffa^ pants thai went out of style four jrears ago. Although Z hav formed considerably since I found there were rules about such; tics, 1 still get a kick out flying parallel to highways at\.ow altitude. I often flew low i^^to and from the practice area and close to Highway 20 /bn ray wa; Perhaps e habit be ingrained on early cross- The planes countries as X held the highway fo * security. ware slower back and head winds ^re more of a problem, and that meant |bw level flight to esca] effect. At times the wind almost aron. some of the slowing ^e flying a J-3 Cub, I've been insulted by cars passing me oii\the highway <-«* even trucks. Once X barely got around a combine.. A friend of �AdventurM in a Biplane Chapter 13 Nona Waia mlne/naimra^thtt wlnd>^*aix1^^ realJjrlBloir^nj^wjtJ^^ wonan hang outtlrtTwaah and you're still there when she takes ft lnl“ \ / The fifty-five nile per hour has introduced a new sport. limit All those Mrs traveling sixty plusi are gambling someone's C.B. will get tra word out if ’’Smokey is lurking up ahead*" Let one little aJ^lane pass by, and the whole string slows to fifty-five, and the air waves are filled with ’’Bear in the airl" / Ify- low level flying/is strictly for sport, but for Jim Good of Casper, Wycsning, i-X i* a means of livelihood. Jia flies pipeline for AMOCO through most of Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, and Utah. His 2w mph aircraft is equipped with all sorts of radio gear plusyi siren and a loudspeaker. He has his own kind of fun with tl^ cars on occasion, but most of his low flying is strictly business. \ 1 rede along on one of his tours engine of the Ces 210 hummed smoothly as feet and began ppkalleling the pipeline, entered rough country. The turbo equipped leveled at 100 In a lew minutes we While Jim looked for leaka below, Z watched the bluff tops race by above. When the pipeline turned, so did we — two g turns at times Now and then we slowed, and Jim called the man below on c frequency, inquiring about a fresh slick of oil near the lin 303 �Adventures in a Biplane Norm Weis we left the line and sought put an airport At with decent food Chapter 13 hen took up where we left off * began looking for wildlife\and soon caught the knack of s hing the meager shade benea scrub cedar end eage deer* Ma and the two yo sters* heads tilted back watched seen the plane red times calmly as we passed* They ly of mule before. Although the air s cal* and t temperature mild we encountered odd turbulence at Certain locations that Jim pointed out ahead of time* He has theo as a gravitometer* feeling the mov that the plane acts t pf air away from those areas with slightly lesser gravity* du^ptobably to the presence of low density matter such as oil or ^t^pr The bumps occur / / reliably along the perimeter of knoi^ ollX^ields* and around a few other places that just might Jim recently bought a new discovery some day ceeding to teach himself aerobatics much like Ws compared notes frequently* <»7* and is pro­ old Waco did the year before specially in rega Both our planes seemed to resist the maneuver* to snap rolls ecision snap roll in a Starduster is di|^icult* but half a snap is even harder It Is strictly a matter rudder* and just as t neutralize when the timing — pull on the stickXand jam right motion starts* jam in opposite controls and Lane is inverted* For a quarter snap* the recovery begins before the snap actually starts �Adventures In exBiplane Chapter 13 Norm Weis Quite b^accident, I found that froira climbing attitude and at low speed, 80 or so, the Starduster half snaps beautifully. She's a Sweetheart again, lhe nose drops, but if the stick is held back shsNcompletes a marvelously quick, altitude preserving split "S” that makes a perfect turn around. soy �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis he ins ne. The new maneuvers demanded much time to bring to compet^ce, then far more time to achieve a measure of precision The inverted spin was the easiest. I sprinkled that maneuver in among the difficult moves to maintain confidence. When I told Pat Day about the Joys of spinning upside down, he had to have a demonstration, also curious, rode out to the practice area with Pat. I could see them standing beside the vehicHe as I climbed to 5,000 feet. Any higher, I reasoned, and the plane would present too small an image. On the top of the loop, 1 pulled the throttle back, but not all the way •• the engine would die from fuel starvation anyway. She entered the spin nicely, and af^r kicked opposite rudder. Nothing happened! Something was awfully wrong! turns, I JeoA nothing happened! I could see blue sky and hear a flattering-roaring sound. 1 considered slipping the belts and bailing ou^ ^Xhat bhough^had never ItselF before. Could 1 clear the plane? Perhaps the spinning plane would wrap the canopy up into a useless ball. Maybe I was already too low to Jump. Suddenly I understood what was happening. Th4B- funny sound was the engine running, and that made the spin 30(, �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 13 Moxa Vais flatten up and bring the sky In view* Quickly 1 yanked the throttle back d the yet *» B den* »■ ewaeHy reealH lyway, the rudder again, nose dropped and the spin slowed. Z pulled the stick back ouch too soon, but the plane responded In its own time, leveled quickly and checked my altitude. Z The altimeter read 1,000 feet, which was ^500 feet lower than I had intended/ jglothe«Mle«»ed‘*'foirirMMii«k«>--i Z milled about, letting the adrenalin run down, tondering how an engine without an inverted system could run upside down. Of course! Rotation would throw the fuel away from the axis, and that would be forward to the engine! Z should have taken off all the throttle at the top of the loop. By the time I reached the airport, Irealized the rg&ideac keZe .a- valuable le-ersen in invertedy«^pr spins. The spin would flatten with power and return to normal without pmnT, ^Bbme planes will |(!p7 return to a normal spii^when power is shut dowi^rTme Sweethear^ was one of the safe ones. inverted The spin would be a good maneuver to practice sometime hi^*‘ thMirx. »,■>«. r./i 1l■lll^T^Jl There were othe^ more Interesting maneu­ vers to master. Zt was time to try out the Starduster's flight characteristics in odd attitudes with radical control positions. Perhaps we could invent a new maneuver like the tail stand the yl(i^^drivefdemonstrated at Oshkosh. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 13 Nona Weis I tried entering a eontlnuoue map roll from different angles and attitudes. Vle.»3r Moat of the results were dis- ^4<t*»4**H**<P>**« appolntdaagt hu^ entored^nearly vertical eesM strange things haj^pened. dl qjre rnep er ^pln would start nonoally, but as the speed died, the spin died, and we would fall out In sene unpredictable attitude. At times It felt as though we were briefly in on inverted spi^* /ince 1 kept the power was a chance the spin could go flat, e» X kept ^^^Mn.SBe 1 experioented with different entry speeds, angles off the vertical, and tried the spin In both directions. Z failed to duplicate the Waco*a moves, but In the process, X came upon a new. apparently original maneuver. Starduster can accomplish. Perhaps It* a sonething only the X named It the '’Bolly/ermaker.** p degrees, X wait^4or the speed to Heading up at drop to 110 s^>h, than quickly put the plane into a spin to the left. She spidfel a turn or two, dle^on top, and for eM-4as£ABt ysia^ flat on her back with no rotation. Than as the plane starttf^to fall back, X fedsl In whatever control It tgj^ to pro­ long the float while torque from the engine bfB!^*ton a slow spin to the right. If done properly, the controls endfup with stick forward and full rudder deflection, precisely the require­ ments for an Inverted flat spin, which t^exactly what *^^^dolng. the plane And it was entered from a nozmal spin going straight up I X never gUe^e flat spin time to fully develop. A half turn �Adventures in a Biplane Ron Weis Chapter 13 ono, and X chop power and point her down* Old hands might argue that torque will cause a ’ plana to spin to the left* not the right, but if the boiler** maker JLs viewed from above* the flat spin indeed to the left* but sitting upside down in the cockpit* the spint^'to the right. a doaen tries to understand what really It happeni^cf. Some of the fellows from the CKperimental Aircraft Association — the EAA — were flying a replica of Lindberg's Spirit of Saint Louis about the country, much the way Lindy d toured aVttk^after his Atlantic flight fifty years earlier. The plane was due^* ^*^oon, end quite a crowd had gathered to see the show. mine included. Several homebuilt aircraft were on display* a This time X played it smart/’ surroianded the plane with one Inch wide flourescent surveyor's tape* to keep people from looking with tha^y instead oi^ their eyes^ ^Somehow the unuaeJl portion of the tape was left in the cockpit. D|gexrXt fell into the fuselage and much later* 9X. a very crucial time* X would find it in a oarsnin place. When word arrived that the Spirit of Saint Louis Qi—ft—— would be two hours late* X volunteered to jii 1-^ _ y. a aerobatic demonstration Ss emssstatn She e.i*ui>di during the wait The FAA was on hand* and X had a low*>level waiver* so the legal!** ties wexre quickly satisfied. �Mvcntures in a Biplane Chapter 13 Nona Veie At the first break in the traffic, the tower gave ne the go-ahead,, pgoaAeing to "hold u£f tiaffie fee the newt J^eti mlrnitee It wee real kick to go through the maneuvers I had thoroughly perfected -• the ones proven safe at low altitude. Bottoming out at 1,000 feet, I paeeed from loop to hennerhead to idiifferdill to barrel roll, frequently reversing then going on with the Sweetheat *s easy half snap split to the Cubans, point rolls, slow rolls and snaps, with one snap roll while going straight down,^^^-^™ 4* finale, X dove for speed, and then pointed her up and spun her into one of toy better boilermakers. It felt so good X did another. How if the crowd ^im/^arger, and I iSwf^eceiving a healthy fee^^.fy«^raaybe sometime. A month later, after much practice on diamond loops and rolling tail slides, X moved on to a couple of simple awJrwr called the pullover and pushover. Both are entered going straight up, and both end/^oing straight down. The pull and push refer to the stick motions. The pullover is Ukw a tall skinny loop! The pushover is the same shape but the plan^is upright at the apex. At that moment, the plane and pilot are subjected to negative g*8. The pilot is thrust up against the belts, his neck stretches, and his eyeballs bulge. Anythin^ loose tends JT^****-^ * ’(r-T to rise^ M w liiiHng rkeS long lost roll of surveyor's tape lying unknown in the tail of the aircraft. Xt rose into the gap between elevator actuating arm and fin post. ^The gap wasz«sMrl>ecau8e the elevator was in the down positionJ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norttt Weis The pushover and the down line all seemed normal, but when X applied back stick to pull out, my movement met sudden solid resistance. ablQ< redweed rhrn hr Inii l<avn1 \Jb^ tP up elevator w^as avail-* n jqtMMirtn >'hu' plane reuaded out gradually, nlnrA^rn Hb ■ j^ywuMii* problem now was to get back to the airport, get it on the ground, then find out what Uku hulii was causing the blockage. /l held hard back stick, compressing whatever thadg. mysberious object was. discarded the idea* I^considered jockeyingj^about . but 5 it- i-hfe t.«iy -tt- bir^-T^ the object shifted, the chances were 50«50 that the problem would worsen, . jr T xliiiildetf 'Lu lni>lu> the ;fiick against the blockage^ 1^1 ■and lanri vHt-h fy>.♦- I <» few sfi thir greuad. ^It would have to be a wheel landing, but that was ny normal |istyleyB(**landin^ axtyway, I told the tower about my problem, and asked for a ”no delay” straight in approach. They obliged by delaying several other planes, then sent the crash trucks screaming "if/ �Adventures in a Biplane resolved t Chapter 14 Nona Weis inspect the belly for debris before each aerobatic flight. I carried that bullc^roll in my pocket for two weeks like a guilty sailor, neck slung with a dead albatross, hoping its discomfort would serve as a permanent reminder. 3/2 �Adventures in a Biplane Cliapter 14 Norm Weis €haptece"’i-4' It wa^tha first of January, and alPiMaai the tharooooatar stood at tan below saro. The two ha rdryers humming away in tha blan^^«cova^a^^ngi^ compartnant saamad to have little affec^ Z busied myself (^towing tent, sleep** ing bag, air mattrass, tie-downs, and survival gear, then plastered over the oil-cooler with furnace tape. By nine o'clock the engine oil temperature had climbed into tha graan. I removed the hairdryers and blankets, pulled on an extra jacket, snugged tha windproof hood and slid �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis ray flying helmet over the top, slung a scarf about my neck, pulled on heavy glovesXand climbed into the cold cockpit. The engine started on the line-hand's first pul^^**! sat waiting for ^ngime to warm completely, wondering if 1 could stand the cold I hadn't planned to leave on the temperatures at altitude. coldest day of the year. The decisio^ had been an easy one. The race promo­ ters had offered me $300 to put on two aerobatic acts, and a few more dollar^prize money if 1 aleo entered the races to fill out the field, ^jisefacing no longer thrilled me, but I found it im­ possible to turn down my first chance to fly aerobatics for decent money, . ... —n t t .................. . ,ci , .i Be­ >. sides, the races were to be held in Mexicali, Mexico, where the weather should be warm. It was to be the first Mexicali Interna­ tional Air Race, and 1 would be the feature performer. They expected a crowd of 10,000. The official had checked my qualifying rolt^ and the extra goodies I had thrown in at Ken^ was the man SkS; had made the offer. The little string attached — the requirement that I also race, had^>Bfemiaiw«Ked»aa-4dxa._aldi«hee8t, Jsut to agiem would violate my promise O6 no more racing ehat j ... . 4>ad made tn Jny. ^e understood bqt deep desire to fly the air show/was granted a ^'stay of promise * for just this ame race. �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis Strangely enough* Jay had no worries concerning ay aerobatics^ ySEe reasoned that when racing^life was In the other fellows* hand»»and she didn't trust the other fellow/* 1 felt a bit guilty about Mexicali* however* for it was ■Cii>y*e alipuft Uiat was Uw sutoJeuL of ay feweewatedi. Back then I dared not middle-fingered aalute the year before. enter the country for fear the plane might be confiscated* but now the Governor of Mexico had sen^ a personal invitation^ee— We cleared the ground at 9:30 a.m.* and headed cold and straight for Rock Springs. A little fuel* some hot coffeeA n brief sfeund e'lei. Uia"Uul eii misiiIi>tea» '^od we were up again* flying through the paraly: if vffy Lluuilr �Adventure* in a Biplane fciii 111■iiMf III I Chapter 14 1 Norm Weis cf-miTliliiii heater couldn't kepp up with the frigid air rushing The ;8filvers set in as we left Wyoming and entered the State of Utah, <11 thftiigt* ft.. cQftsplred rn deny maUrha-fulfillaetit I upped the cruise settings to raise the temperature and shorten the flight time. Clouds took over the sky and the temperature dropped the controls q flhe- >fy hand shiveved, sending small pulses th whole eltplene shlverag. Heber City and Provo. inally, we slid down the notch between Th* lower altitude would be a enduring she cut J lietHiUg uf Uie isuuiitainsi Itftsr The shivses-ceased^ as the tenq^rature rose to near the freezing level. The airport at Nephi, Uta^was untended, but a phone call brought a)Kieriff*s ^puty immediately, I gassed up the Sweetheart and headed out, pleased with the Jieputy’s friendliness, wondering idiat the town was like. I would find out all about it eight days later. Mountain shadows were growing long as we landed at Cedar City, Uta^ It was a pleasant place to spend the night. The hardest part of the trip was behin^jT*^Only two legs and a hop remained before the bright >texias**sun would warm my bones. Th^ morning was again cold and the engine slow to fire. It was ten o'clock before we cleared Cedar City and headed ^uth. Twenty miles out, we passed over land badly cut by canyons, Xt was in one of those canyons, nearly fifty years ago, that mail pilot Maury Gralfe was forced to land in /, �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis winter-. They gemnd naury and his wrecked plane.the following spring. Maury had managed to walk six miles before exhaustion brought him down. <•» Ths pioneer mall, pilots used to have all the-decent ency landing fields marked with a white painted "V**, the uphill, or into the prevailing wind. fields were mar th a ••T”, which stood though it was plainly age t the , many of the early mail pilots carried bottles of 100 and a rough engine pu country below w engine so Doubt smoothing oil.'* like a kitten pie upside down stile enough to make even 1 underst e One swig, Sweetheart* the old time pilots thing-ol1 The rough country ended abruptly and we descended to the flat warmth of the Nevada desert. half an hour ahead. Boulder City was only We had been this route before. This time the Air Force and Nellis Field receive^wide berth as we detoured through the Valley of Fire,^2iff slid along the west shore of Lake Mead. At Boulder City I removed the tape from the cooler, and stdHtd my windbreaker and gloves^ in the baggage. The- low elevetlnn atid dawuhill runway shegfcened the take»uff pleasantly. 'Ps*' I pointed the nose straight south and watched the Colorado River meander a dozen miles to the east. turned from tan to brown, axid erupted The land below tusks of igneous rock. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter Norm Weis It was hot when we landed at Blythe, California. After gassing upn,T-adjnnmed-..to the flight ehaek fe» «ind a da^le^^ givhni^ttw^ngine time to cool, fie ^d^ bec^e balky and haixi'xo'^it^t due se^*2he Xsw eloraSien and*^ I checked the parking brake and found it still full on, then looked about to see if anyone was available to swing the prop. Not a soul^was iu siglit. I thought briefly of y(>ing down the tail, but no ground loops were visible nearby. With throttle well cracked and ignition on, I stood between wing and prop and pulled her through. She coughed, coughed again, aH* then quit firing altogether, obviously loaded up with a heat-induced rich mixture. With ignition off and throttle wide open, I pulled the prop through a dozen times, then retarded the throttle, turned on the Ignition, and tried again. engine coughed and died as before. —1 I'gpeauiJ uhe leening prnseihiws.* Sweat began to gather under my long-Johru The failed again and I looked about for help, ^gmim^^re waf.no one in sight.s^I^jMpt trytne ■was on the third pull of twe^-ve^tisying fro .lean her out with^ fuJJLt.hrnntlg ngflla.whe^^e engine fired^4am2^ ^1nn e^ti an. . She wae kiekiwg ewem-aa I^San fo^ the wing tip. The tail was^contlng up as lMM«indod.j;ha..xaaMao«-eMMUheaded for �Adventures In a Biplane the cockpit<1 Chapter 1^ Norm Weis When T gst there the engine ws* at full bore^eeriK** the prop was chewus^ its way into the blacktop JHie tntl rudiT Jriahss flB-rtm My first leap at the cockpit peiip nhnntRiie^ failed.plane was crawling toward a gas truck/ On the second, mnyJif^s third'^^jqt^I managed to get on the wing AM JwenH eally I clawied> my way over the cockpit coaming M^yankad* I*6^^ the throttle bac^ A** N0|/there were lots of people around, bombarding me with accusing eyes and condemning illence. I was sick. In almost two thousand hours of flying I had never hurt an airplane. I had demolished a propy 1i««i ■ ■gwiikaluiffr FlMuj^y and come perilously close to blowing up a gas truck. tt, the fixed base operator, was angry neardestruction of his gas truck./ I bi e lack of Ip starting up We sooiy cooled d' )wn and coopera ated in an iffort to secure a new propeller. came almost frie The would arrivu in 'I wandering about sines in Even lually we be­ ly ropeIler shop in enix cAairaed tl lythe within tw^ays. It s In the process, I the mega* upon an a National record had bei tn set for en a^r cockpit biplwes in the Sweetheart's weight 2700 miles in 30 days. new prop I killed ti le time rwin's operation, then reading ai: ^s pilots' lounge nterestiiu item back about lass An hour spent with the log books �Adventures in a Biplane showed trips 1 Chapter X had broken that Norm Weis ec|rd by a wide margin y6n Vhe o Cjxiada and the East/Coas 3,000 mile: diti ths/ fact," In fact I had in 10 days, and' well over 4,000 miles aveldd n 20 days. At a later d e I ch eked with the fecord accru y and learn that r cords could ot be set "j :ter t that Iycould appl upj exi at temp t\ If for an o rtunity to se 50 in fees, and an/in­ uld only cost day to check in at Mexicali.^ I M-imlrcd the, iihcolj and britjxj the pron-oa~oisa«awaya to epe» tion off, imdjtouble ehetked OFF^ r"jgraiTednasr'prdp thfOUgh ~of-“the''-^ HPerfeotl.^. stalled in proper position, thetx flange was alJU right! I bolted the pi^p down, safet^ed it and installed^^ spinner. At request* the local XI service called the tower in Mexicali and arranged for ray arriv The menage was relayed from Blythe to Imperial to Mexicali. e man at Imper- tly via the same rou One of the line hands kindl red to\prop the engine. I had the feeling they wanted to take no mo chances With me* The cox>lr"'engine fired iramedidfcely and ran pthly �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 15 Norm Weis u£ vibl'Alluu. with ’^^Jteke^ff was extra quick, cular. t^e^limb out specta* The prop was Indeed bette£^ The cruise speed was a few miles slower, but that mattered little. cross country *•*“**• end the new prop Jt w«n*-fc racing or . these days* Just aerobatics, make a big improvement in my vertical performance southw follow t pa eyebal wenty se across was un e rough tad ow notch, en took he sand dunes that blanketed the es to the border The General Taboada International Airport itSf just a few miles south of the border amid land checkerboarded by i rrigat ion * f tr-the iHnd in on 1 t<^Qwnw^T^L—Tlie eApeetfed gieuii llghr d to.. ari'lTiyy^se I went srouaJ shI veil leaded fus feBaJflv ■feline' Bob Downey, formula one pilot and coordinator cf the races, directed me to parking^ semed in the cockpit "‘ig'niit Good old Red Black* t'* hcirda am T rk**- bum, walrus mustache ana stammerdiF out a welcome* as ever, over I began to feel at home* Red hustled me directly to customs ispRswder to cancel ny flight plan and enter the country officially* The 32./ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 15 Norm Weis custcxns man spoke no English and I could speak no Spanish. communicated by writing numbers, adding question marks if not sure. When finished, the immaculately uniformed agent stood at attention, shook peating hand, and offered an official welcome, re­ piloto, race piloto." low-toe.*' V1 ng watching i .i ijy n^i He pronounced it ”pee] in»f— all, tinning broadly. /The vele/ briskly to/f^ce old ed, whipped a Salute, st octet ng about ’ Cenerale laught Although ' Red blushed and the hey takeXaii^orms very sal ent brdke riously 8 found Red’s emblSxtJned jacket a source o^ high Tfevlcsn e« ot of p\lot8 Stood about the ramp. joying ooKe her and disci^ussing the low ceilingX encountered mild their flight to Mexics li t A stationary fr nt was hung up over Los Angsles, holding back the arrival contestants. A few of the pilots had arri a little sight-seeing in igner Hk and he area* race enthusiastV had been b Downey had engines Art almost half th< a week illiams, aircraft d ere for several days. the race course, erecting e six-comer pylons as well as the start-finish mark. The course was parallel to the single runway, and quite close in. The race promoter, uninhibited by the Mexican equivilant of the FAA, jjaff-aakad that all races and aerial acts 32^2- �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis gslT be held as close to the crowd as possible. He wen suggested that the scheduled clown act and ray aerobatic act be held next to, oryjSlrer the crnwd. The races took on a barnstorming atmos­ phere, and the '*pllotos*''^Lwad it. Mexicali, a brown and dusty city of half a million people, sprawled across the flats a dosen miles west of the The houses it the outskirts^som^ temporary. airport. Rut^ corrugated sheets and loose-fitted boards^i^ke well for the Except for the highways, streets wre powdered dust clim&te. or clinging mud, depending upon the weather. At the center of town, the buildings became substantial^ sad a distiiicfaichi- taeteure ■energed, Statues stood in mid street/ ^Iti-storied motels rose on both sides of edyswt dustafllledL boulevards oe pilots st^ed aX tlae Multday B the led first class, but diedXat the bo ca Cold wtter was on to be rocked off itS^base to permit t open, how t you had to l^d your heel y stool never/le althoug autho ity, it sed one grab rly in the e in t on ha downstairs lobby of the on must have lef the stool hikd thro door to ful y tub it in. flashed a hand th such Id. ua BMt for tel. Some- pilots' meeting Two into a courtesy of the mote ? 23 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapt Norm Weis BKistiffened, saluted, and then unlsoMa an **S1 Generale * ablush wae SMgnlf leant. eau^t on so well. Maybe t^t wLs why the nleknta When a red jacketi red haired, red isustaehed man blusWed, he eveated apeetaeulan. / CTiiMon I , / \when most of the pilots had gatnered, Bob Downey I abked for vol^teers to appear on a local television show. \ « V ' / lid, and we all volunteM^. \ f The waee wasZbelng sponsored In Company, bottler/ of several brands of Ws itood about the tWevlslon studio idille ^erid pilots ward Interviewed. The proves. Involving translation In both dlree« tlonX was laborl<^. \he lone camera often left \he conversahts peclally the mtches on Red's jacket. \ / /After the TV sunt, we dTOve \ the botming plan! for a fray sample of the sponsor's product, then adj sirnH^w eat+ns heuse for e abrlmp dinner Early Friday morning a small crowd gathered at the airport to watch the qualifying rounds. piiia.ii SiiiiMii ■!Ill 1 p—rr*T kA trial run on the course by am emperl eased hand showed that Pylon Six had to be moved Inward to prevent overflight of the runway. That was. im^rtant, since ordinary traffic would 4 �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 14 Nona Weil continue during the races.»--/Jrdinary traffic four jetliners inrand eut each dnyi plus the sporadic arrival and departure of a few dosen smaller craftX 4 It felt good to round the pylons again. Although ***4 I hadn't made changes for speed, I Jmew Uy speiw.wesi in excess of 135 mph. However, the timers claimed 176 kilometers per hour, or 109 mph. It wasdidiculoi... I told the timerB Jiise tlnnO/Wmy insisted their figures were right. Their electronic timers could not he wrong. Obviously the course was longer than measured. War-eFFagreed to let things stand, hoping the timers would at least be consistent. During a break in the action, I went up to practice ny aerobatic act, low ^nd close in as requested. The new prop and the dense air*mm2K the Sweetheart into a Toeny Thomason,friend of Bed*s,^lmo from Lompoc, California, tried out his drunk acW X watched people duck and run as A TiaaKf worked his Aeronca Chanqp in close,as requested. A Jet- liner landed, then took off, while trial runs continued without break. Formula one racers and jetliners passed in opposite directions a few hundred feet apar^ >Bnly the Americans con­ sidered it unusual. ■epmvyfA, in Lhe LUWf gaftt down word than-KAf uld\be no more Their kreen bulb radio eq pe Their use o affic control had been haphasard st. planes li �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm W41s At mid day* th^Callfomla contingent 4wiplved* bringing the roster of racers to full compliment. tened to qualify their planes. They has­ It was well after sunset before the planes were tucked away In the hangar. We stood In the gathering darkness and talked until the air turned cold. Dave Forbes had brought his Cobra biplane. His wife had flown down In a Cessna, and both planes were seheduled to race. Dan Mortenson* whose little yellow Smith Mlnlplane 4 4 y failed to qualify at Reno* was there* but he wouldn't be elimi­ nated this time. He had a new screamer — a Mong that he be­ lieved capable of more than 160 mph. j All the old ganAwas Aherej_^S<ws like Rene alir Zfw evening was<Mie s^reunlon. small bar and caf Ws took over the at the motel * much to the discomfort of d Wit t the regular customer^ O waiter^ were not happy with the noise and the shenanigans. We were sjMr "ugly Americans" for the evening. The next morning we were heroes. announcer on the public address system said. That's what the He spoke In Spunilsh* but we eamght She meaning as "brave* grande* vallente, hero* and famoso plloto" came through unmlstakab^. The �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 14 Hom Veil audience must have believed every word, for we were net with wide-eyed approval as we pushed our planes along the edge of tile crowd. We formed a line in front of the crowd and stood for introductions, waving whenever the announcer pointed in our direction. Wteu Uie gmuuucei salil “Bl Oewerale,** Bed jeaVlcT auLumatlMillyi The rest of us applauded.—Oux XureT 7‘*''rHnnir . John Schmidt, another aerobatic pilot, specting his planeSnrior to putting on his act. in­ 1 Wandered over to lend an eye. Onck finished, we adjourned to ny plane to re­ peat the process. The x^lly was clean, but om of the ailerons had a loose actuating ho^. At first X thought it was "hangar rash," and got properly angW. As I tore into the problem, it became evident that it was an\njury X had caused back in Blythe, while making that hairy scrambl^nto Xhe cockpit. X redirected my anger and put it to use, hopingXto have the horn repaired in time for my scheduled race and aeipiakect late in the afternoon. / \ Tossoy Thomason and/yohn Schadt stood closely by, offering advice, comfort, and/4t box of tools freshly borrowed from Dave Forbes, who was presently taxiing xmt for the first race. / \ X removed Jtiie aileron, then the hox^ Tommy kept track of the loose pi^ts. The hom needed rivetingkand the three of us drove down the ramp looking for the local repair �Adventures in a,Biplane Norm Weis Chapter 15 MAW^ aHiI ii'wm Mi.jj ^lyinc^ With sign language we explained the pTOblea, and The Mexican swehanic Opened up his tool displayed the\Mrt. box and we poinb^ out our needs. plated. TWo rivets had to be re- The oachfiiilc watched closely, then trotted off and promptly returned with, an exact replacwaent. the job was done. in twenty minutes The ^chanic refused any payment. Ws offer* ed three varieties of Spaxiish "thazik you’s’* and shook his proffered hand half a dozen times. / Soon the horn wa^w the aileron, the aileron on the plane, and the control cablei reattached. At the last minute, ToBaqr had to leave to 4ut o^his act, wad the box of tools was placed in the open/trunk of john’s car. prooptly stolen. It was Our forei^ relations\ad gone to belli / Tommy's act ,^s fabulous. s The whole crowd believ* ed he was drunk, ’’borracho,” just as the aanoi^er claimed. When he took off crool^ and wing*low, they could see the very fact for themselve^ collisions with I<»qr After a few wild slipping pMses and near ground, even the announcer began to believe h<m..tly dnmk. ! \ \ ^^n the act was over and Tommy stepped out of the plane, the c;towd was quiet. Then as Tommy waved and walked away, very/Straight and sober, they caught on and applauded his sza �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 15 Mom Wait •kilt and(h<i«y&wn guUabill^y, ”borra<Sho__ pilWier for thifyicsm^nder of Dan Mortensfe and Z were in the fourth vaaO| along with four other bipes similar speedi|^ They let me off first with a handicap of tan seconds — hut in lass than a lapj-A--" Mortens^* in*^^HKfe^and yellow hornet, sipped by wagging his wings in for Reno* Then avaryona else passed ma — hut what the hell, Z was here to put on an aerobatic act, not to race. Z flew across the finish line on knife-edge to cover my embarassment. During the formula pne race, one of the pilots passed through a had wake and severely damaged a disc in his , eottk. He managed a landing at the far end of the runway, and- it was some time before anyone realised he needed help. he was transferred to an ambulance and taken to Mexicali, Finally fcatwr— <we-4eawaed-thay_Xzied.J[ous-di£feveRt-plaee»-be£e*e-fi«kding —teha~~' fSair «*ff5>ld handjf* -unh a piiV'* nr*— That made a tw at us curious as to the quality of the crash truck and fire-fighting facilities. We wandered over for a look and found a frightening lack of preparation. There warn no asbestos suits laid out, and no one sat ready in the cabs. Zn fact, the crews were scattered about, enjoying the festivities. Worst of all, >seecdijag.JiftjgoLiMespsmCe«^ the fire truck had no foam, only water, quite useless on gasoline �Adventures In a Biplane fires. Chapter 14 Norm Weis The freedom from regulations that we were all enjoying J had a fffw iresj^^Howe drawbacks. Clem Fischer had to pull out of his race after a few turns about the pylons. A strange noise developed in the engine and the power fell off, making an Immediate landing necessary. We viewed his engine, tracking the dripping oil to a split crankcase, a problem much too complicated to permit Immediate repair. He began making plans to drive down the following week load his sick airplane on a flatbed for the long haul home. The stock plane race was on the final lap as I took off for my aerobatic act^ The now-prepei-tev and-±he denuL ulr cpnpaeaSsd fcg-glv^>fehC'"§yBnthiwr>‘eltmfa-gngle' yeL. I circled, scanning the long line of spectators as the stock racers strung out for a landing. Citizens of Mexicali and nearby towns lined the south side of the runway. Most of them had never seen an air show, but then I had never performed before I a(^^^^befe«e% We made a good match. would ray mistakes as well as vay better executions. j^The last of the stock racing planes landed. That was the signal for the announcer to Introduce the Starduster and Its pilot. The mmsent IS OURS I From 1,000 feet we slice downe building speed, head/d for a point Just off the edge of the crowd* The speed reaches �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 160 and the vires sing. We level, then quickly drop the right Norm Weis wing until it points precisely to the ground, giving the crowd a full view of the Sweetheart's red and white scalloped wing. Two hundred feet above the runway we race by the long line of spectators, flying on knife-edge « flying sideways, just like old Speed Holman. throttle to cheek At the thought i ey left* hand dweps fi'onr~the-A^ e^OTMl seat belt, and fBff^~'Ui ^ghtn»ji.2_A mild buffet sets in, and it*s time to level and climb steei£r to 800 feet, half snap upside down, dive to low level axid make a slow roll on the return pass in front of the crowd. On the climb out there's time to check the card for the next two moves, a full cuban followed by a loop. notes ^n the card tell me I need 900 feet and 100 mph. it. My We have Now kick rudder and ride the wing over through a raverf^ then slide back down, looking for 160, and then up and over, float the top, wait for the^^degree line inverted, then roll upright, hold the line, level, check the altitude — 300 feet — safe enough, then pull up and repeat. It's all so easy when you know how. ing how that^^ difficult. It's the know­ We are through the loop with ease, and I scan the runway below, checking for alignment. A Cessna single-engine has just landed and is rolling out a few hundred feet beneath the bottom of ay loop. Hew niee te have a broad T fbu 33/ �Adventures In a i^wmwey below;—Sweh an improvemenr over the eewtpafceh-er <ueeaibsdRSlW''*±iTtgairiN«Bdytthaa.i^^ to-aiawrt' pit belew ay euauLlue ma ul home. d they Mewe- paying me money to do thlsl The biplane grin Is back, and I hold on to It, hl|^ on the fulfillment of my boyhood dream — a dream I had always clung to but never really thought was attainable. The hammerhead comes out crooked and X snap back to reality. X repeat the move, doing It right, then climb for my finale. From 1500 feet we roar down until the airspeed reads 175, then pull up and point for the sky As the speed drops to 110, X kick rudder and hold a bit of back pressure on the stick. We enter a spin going straight up. The spin slows, stopsy^c^ we fall back down. Inverted, beginning a slow spin In the opposite direction. The We float down Inverted a bit longer than usual, giving the folks their money's worth, then point for the ground, feeling great. Everything had gone wel^ ^Xslorlous experience. X felt like flying a few more maneuvers In celebration, but my time slot was used up. X landed, and taxied to the stand for my after act Introduction. Ltouristas * avoldddf dr the/lo Ing ruck ftt-J. n of wa beer ( “al varl In faucet ter Inste h-I"had- le and ml of using ,-532 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis provided* A good shc^e og. the pilo^^* had developed a eimilar problem. They all hid explaj^tions. It wee the fruit — or 53? �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis aid bmerites/were peyilag» as well-oe eliteheii hex-lunches, and tough, Mge luukiiig tWlfBiggSP _____ 4d>e endlessly and labeeieuely gumed dowH 111B‘bWB pioduct Bright, sparkly-eyed children were special* to wmA-frcna my camera. of the races. Smiling I walked through theiwewd^ taking note of the great difference between Mexicali and Reno race enthusiasts* The Mexicans were more inclined to smile and less apt to push and shove*nhecid lirUm ttniu Llmt fuimi J nt Thoipj wrc no hot dogs or Tlu umittl tsrj^ and shy, they wre inclined parents coaxed them forward with much confusion in communica­ tion, but always with great good humor. ressed in wealth obvious They were inroaculate like royalty commoners* Only pre sive were the /oik Mio wore unifo uni ormed citizens stood straighter terparts i mi ht not er to ms ce ey walked ightl Witho less im< exception, chestier than their civilian\earb ndered idly f the Alamo been saved If t attacking armie had lacked r coldrful costumes. 33^ �Adventures in a Biplane Rom Wela Chapter Fhotographars were everywhere* Yesterday we had politely pdeed for them, assuming they were from the local prats* Today they were selling us the photos, and their business was booming. At Boh Downey*s suggestion, I agreed to put on aa extra aerohatio act just after the biplane race. In fact, ve cooked up what should liave been a very fitting act. It was the touristaiL that gave ySptf the Idea., Z'wonld fly in front of the crowd, tossing out three foot lengths of toilet paper while the announcer explained that X had the touristas. Then, at 1,000 feet, X would throw out a whole roll and pwsssed as cut it up with the prop, while running through some aerobatics. As the first roll drifted to the ground, X would make one last pass, climb up and toss out another roll, with the announcer making additional quips. We figured the fifteen minute comedy-aero­ batic routine was just what the show needed. Bob went over the plans with the announcer idtlle X located the rolls of paper* The final race for the ’’slow'* biplanes was about to start. X sat In the cockpit, engine running, adjusting the two rolls of toilet paper tucked into the front of jacket. shirt pockets ware stuffed with the three foot lengths. X felt like a pigeon with a chest problem* Xth was ee be awsfcher hendieap lacn, wittrxhu slowest 335 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 1 Norm Weis was second in line and was to take 1 counted the seconds| cCZrSiefirst plane one thousand one, one thousand two. At twelve, I opened the throttle wide, watching Art Williams holddag up the green flag When nqr count reached fifteen, I eased the brakes and began to roll. I must have Ssen sewnsing ^set sssswAb, for Art cau- tioned me with a push of the flaa. lessisd • H^^Lakg of 'tlu iripi t-pwfr on frhs bweksst Up came the tail. For a moment*^xhad it saved* Jhe» the tail bobbed up again and the prop struck, Once the prop began grinding into the blacktop, no amount of back stick would bring the tail down. Belatedly, Z pulled the throttle back, turned off the ignition and sat there hoping it was all Just a bad dream. They rolled me off the runway vdiile X held helmeted head in my hands. Elf » that was me I No one could say anything that compared to the hell I gave myself* I searched for an excuse, an alibi to explain the mistake away, then accepted the fact that I had simply goofed.^ I esmssibsr at-the L»«t mftmfnt. fl £1111 ng 1 'ifKhiiH got ny ”ge” levers mixed* ijff ihu gn HaytiB" In the ■air> leewawi LhiuLLlg'IHd— niLiri~'Trtick mmkip fnr tpood, and mnybe I fand rot^iv irhmrH ♦'hfllll ■both st the-J,ast, moment.------ - 33 i �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis It hurt — really hurt -- pushing the plane back past * the endless and pointing crowd. wanted to be remembered as the the aerobatici^ bast liav I was the guy bent his prop. The announcer was busy calling the race. ended, he began the wamup on my toilet paper imo now* I walked over and tried to explain. saueelletn As it He didn’t under- stand, so I pulled out^^^C two rolls of toilet paper, gave them to him and pointed to my damaged propeller. He pointed at the I nodded ny head, feeling terrible, propeller, then at me. I didn’t much like myself. f still had regular aerebable aetr-to perforim - Clem Fischer had no need for a propeller on his crippled plane trip home^o^Casper. His offe^^Jea a God-send, ^CTFaeho piXetee, we linetalleA Qlam^e and carefully c short t stiXLl ran true. e cranks d\the track to It/cheeked out fine e that witl\ only of an i h deviation asured i^aar the p;^opellet tips I to fly th last aero act, thbn £er h Cl sixteen rts. the ’a pro , expect dl under o a ma of the pla to dismantle the/engine, in ove ul. Th Ct pyan sounded go ^’s short radb prop was the third and/final \aistake 337 �Zidventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis aerobatic act began satisfactorily, but the keen A edge was removed by lingering embaraassment were kind — erhans too kind! I c pg Into” f requewtely7—My mi»d ■eenBrnntly-returndd^,^to bhe atCrCTftliL. 1 I forced Things had gono fynm myself to concentrate on the point rolls and the hammerheadSj.^r**’^^*****/^^ Sjnwly-.the thwi.ll ef aewebakies feeek ever, and*I fit hesitation hammerhead with some flatty the On the downline X snap rolled the plane in one of Rancher Steinle’s ’’shot down maneuvers” and was startled to see a glider in tow pass below. The shock out crooked. Operation was adequate,^® caused the snap to come aad I climbed for altitude, reading my card, . , aresti _ _ \ We roared arching four-^f^Hoover roll, then down, leveled and flew an angled, rolled again, and half snapped a turn about Now X was with it. X flew some of the hundred moves you’ve never dreamed of that John Gillespie Magee wrote about, we wheeled and soared and felt the rare privilege of flight. I wished Bill Riedesel and my old instructor, Eldon Hagen, could see me now. We rolled and flew on edge and slid down backward. Thejatoilenaaker went so well we did a second. As X landed and taxi^ in, ar residual shame over the bent prop returned. I took^comfort.in the applause. J JJIH^ 338 �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis The Carta Blanca people, prime eponsore of the race, had a big banquet planned for the evening. They invited Every­ one involved in Mexico's first "International Air Race," which was now completed without serious incident/^mid considered by all to be success For the Aawricanos it was an Band ro. the let room playing as if course the world I placed along the centffr lines Beer and tables A Mariachi kept 1 constant supply f the long 'a surprise. to every ter coursie of CHINESE food w Photographers peddled t served1 day's pictur 8, starting I et's end to 500 at $5/00I each, winding down at le on the pri icted to photbs with polaro ds and selll fight began when encroache The ce ish, compounded by a trumpets retreated € Two young men Everyone re taking pictures on the s upon the other's territory with a welcoming in Span system full of squeals and warbles. the far end of the hhll, playing fyoradically as the speeches ensued. --- -— Everyone received a certificate, a medal/^ a vote of thanks. Even the photographers were given awards, and each flashed a bulb at the crowd in appreciation, M A special / �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 15 Mona Wais photographer covered the presentation with a four-light bar Kodak movie outfit of a type common in the forties. JShe"endl«e**-evpply-of'*hee»-w»e-hegixmizig_to. tne’beWee.F The Americano pilotos were in high humor. Joking, toasting and arguing over the price of photos, taking sides as photographers rnntlmied-te-wrestl/ for territory. The speak one be striki ave his le spre^id, ivwf loud, t in itself lance of ■waited' lass with k on a the thii, came an rder^as even bntinued, w£ sho Over it all Americanos and Mexicans all ”f»nt;^^tico.** at miy PCeeding I stepped outside to escape the racket. Although it was past ten ^.m., the traffic was three abreast in both ^Ixt from the streets swirled about and mixed with directions. barbeque smoke from street vendors* carts, ^le charatLei Mexicali's atmosphere was unique. ! 4e *Dust eswewed Memieali faded qnidkiyTruui siglii as - flew north the next looming. The air was moist, and Second Sweetheart's engine was running smoother than ever^But the smooth feel was ntisleading. At 2550 rpms, th^^Stoewt propsllerV �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 15 the engine frequeniy^matched * vibrating in sympathy with the engine like a window might rattle at the passage of a heavy ever so slightly, but ever so,rapidW. In spite of the smooth engine sound, hly pynpoHoy wag tmderyft^pg ♦•>»« ded at Needles then go half an hour/latjtr, flying throug light noon, Cedar jCity/ Utah* was bel d the ff agai misping rain. ttfornia hfc 10 t was time for/a 1 eh and we/headed north again,/dodgi rain wafather ahead #as deteriorati the weather bure visit wit At 2:30 I howers t soon changed to sno r. ja we sq ezed through t ighway 9 was always g in casK of engi leweeds w The clouds dropped Ibwer low saddles north of Cove Fort^ ort of a safe land ow, offering the failure or si closure of the weather ed Uy, driven-nurLhaast by the gusty wind IT Past Scipio, the ceilings lifted a bit and we rose fee^ TP****^*^ ***** rflUrftad nf Tnafc- ^y^^ld vibration eessae^^e.^ and 1 tried to coax it out with small changes in throttle and mixture, climbing while I experimented, just in case the problem might be serious. \ I wuhUte'Fe'J”Wil fly U BIIIWM Ilf lb* .|1>4 »4w mH p^lA♦^*w Fbwtunately, gjl Will J IWUrTT. the eeltlHg liad lifted? ej^l continued to climb is I checked the magnetos and fiddled with the mixture control �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 15 Norm Weis Um thing seemed to .influence the rate or intensity of the vi» bration. 1400 feet, the wTlu tT JSy vision blurred fiaam. eeTrere* A ’>r1 hrBit< ew r seemed to explode! The spinner entire plane shook violently. bobbed up and down in front of the nose. throttle and I instantly yanke^back. My hand was on the The pounding slowed, but each Jolting vibration became nK>re severe* Maps, a cap, and objects too blurry to identify flew overboard. turned off the magneto^ Quickly I vibnafeions again slowed > but ngittn»^ pulled up the nose, slowing the plane, hoping to stop the propeller from windmilling, VJhen tJie propellnry finally stopped rotating, the caweo becTOe evideafc* One blade of the propeM** was missing «« broken cleanly off about a foot from the hub, X** A There was a sudden quiet^^j^jj^iet that I had ex­ perienced before. It carried the s ei bel HTiZ-j"- ah landing — another unsolicited challenge* The plane must Another foxxed J* resented' the— pnersBffilty.—— The highway below was crowded with cars* moment I j-bft bedty For a girc. up anil •retrea*! *nxe feeling passed and X took stock. We still had ^200 feet and the Sweetheart was gliding beautifully;* WiOb* ---- nr^ M’TTppTrri, It Km fl t.nh/"ar>d t-Rp t'.iih hart tgKl'g” 3^'2^ �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 15 Norm Weis years- ng^ whim Its rrgfno had e^gff "TSfee off^ ^1 ...................... ... nf t-b^ .Iy4ng . —asauriagH—eenfldeiite Waa 'l^CK^ I tightened the shoulder straps, unlatched my number two belt, checked my helmet strap and unplugged the radio jacks. I might want to get out fast, While I worked, I scanned the country for flat spots. A pasture directly below looked pretty good, but It was short and the north end was blocked by a transmission line. east half a mile to check on a plowed field. I glided Snow filled the furrows and the furrows ran crossways to the landing path. Enough looking 1 I headed back for the pasture, assuming the wind that blew the tumbleweedystlll prevailed. the sky ahead with large flakes. Snow speckled I thought for a moment that I should delay landing until visibility improved? then lawghad t-ho 4 Hag J a4ni*« nnn nn cholco. One Way or another we would be on the ground in a matter of second^. downwind, parallel to tty Intended landing path, I searched for ditches and obstacles. The cowpies uniformly sprinkled, offering a faint hope of level land. turned on base leg just after passing the power lines. I Then, as altitude dwindled, I banked left, slipping over the wires, iag herd In. the Irnwii raising the nose to kill the speed, watching the airspeed needle hover on 100, than 90. Ten feet over the �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weic ground we were still traveling at 85, and the far fence was looming. I kicked rudder hard right, then left, bamdooring the fuselage against the breeze. We thumped down, tail wheel first, then the main wheels, brakes full on. She was still light, axul the skidding wheels had little affect. A large fallen tree trunk with straggled branches raced by on the left. The fence grew large ahead, and X stood on the brakes, easing a bit at each tail bob. Each time ■/la. , the tail rose, XJiaa.XzaaaedHsa-«4&ua£-Kiat»-«£-4ihe-4e«iea» X considered a ground loop, but epocrf coasted to a magnificent stop/2^yards..^^ni the fence. yjy ,X looked up., into tne .falling snowfisfeaa th».t fad,, j ""d gp^Vw "Thanks Bosel" 1 sat in the r—4*® marveling at oqt luck, shamefully congratulating myself <•4^/0 on the landing But there were a few things I "could have done that be suLli. iu> luUuL X Tsheitid have radioed a quick "May Dajy^ I should have considered jumping « all, X should have shut off the fuel valve ** and above Second Sweetheart appeared to be intact everywhere except from the firewall forward. What used to be a neat assemblage of tubes and wires/'fiw looked like spaghetti. The engine mount was broken in two places, and the cowling was battered �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 15 Norm Weis and bent from the engine * s ayniws4-qn^ fchgeughoufc the compart- ment. Met- Ifhe ^ngine^ sagged, pointing half way to the ground, held in place^Jby cowling and safety cable. The 3/16” steel safety cable, required for racing, had done its job. Had the engine broken loose, the aircraft would have been completely uncontrollable. Up front, the broken propeller told its own story. The stub showed two kinds of faacture, A thin break along the back side, brought on by resonance fatigue, had let the blade bend forward into the airstream — that was the mild vibration I had felt. The rest of the fracture showed signs of an in­ stantaneous separation. That was the loud bang. blade had flown off to land perhaps a mile away. prop had The broken The unbalanced caused th^mount to break at the same Instant. Three propellers! In less than a week I had creamed three propellers — made modem works of art out of two, and broks^^he third clean off! How would I explain that to tty wife, ny fellow pilotsthe Insurance company? Half a mile away, dimly visible through the snow shower, stood a farmhous^ and I hoped a telephone;—•* Neither Mrs, Hall nor her^^yean-old son, Kurt, had heard me land, which was understandable, since the engine i|as silent. I called Jay first, and then the local ^eriff. It was a diflficult accident to explain, since all the damage 3 yr �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis )uiX occurred in the airland nui while eentaeetng the gaeundi— Young Kurt hall and X walked back to the plane* pushed it to the fence and tied it down securely. The loose gear and baggage was all packed and stacked by the time the deputy sheriff and-&e newsman arrived of-tlie forced laudlng-from his police radio ecermer. ■ .MW*.. IrU . *-r> J He pro4 7mr>r.» 10 *"mr1r~’ It ’'loirirmTilci pioof,** ^Llis t*T'm imd Csmshirr, story got on the wire serviced** >rt was so mixed up by the time it hit the luwie town media*Z*that close friends thought I had been killed or badly hurt. long process of reportixig bO’ the yAA*--the in« nnrnnn ?"mpaTiyi end plomning ths lir*''* 1i iiiil butnn the*- AA neidemb L4) y with g After repA^'l&iij^ the date several times to the various officials* it dawned on me that January 9th was ny birthday^ ■ ■■ "»y arAsgs of eowteBipT4tt/tig my .C was gil^^ anmight**^ The insurance company instructed me to hire a guard* and agreed to send an insurance adjuster to Salt Lake City in three days if we could have the plane dismantled and hauled that distance that soon. The next evening* e*tf»^Jay* andyson* Wade 3y4 �Adventures in © Biplane Chapter 14 norm Weis arrived, laden with packing materials, tools/ and w4ah flatbed in tow. By noon the next day we had the wings off and the en» tire craft secured for travel. > met th^*adju8ter at the Salt Lake City Airport He stepped off X&*'alrliner, checked the plane, photographed «.^ov the next flight it and filled out th^ form^ out, and we ^gan the long .drive*to Casper. y ^swe was S<we So ahiuk"and fee plasu, The d^mag^ more extensive^ than ipj*—tihc p^nnc hrfllr Suspicious wrinkles in the fuselage fabric near the tail meant^the coverbe strippe^%id minutely inspected. From the firewall forward, everything would have to be new: new propeller^j^ ^aaie, there was - a benefit'lii the dlcsgteri—B investing time and money be ondxthe insurance, d make some \f those changes I had she could bf^ng a new desirable ont dance and let the con< t rest. more stick-up-the- ide forward trol stick pant-leg1 P ps a n and this time 1 extended invert install a sm outlining engi or new elevator trim could should have an inverted fuel ight and outd^de maneuvers. greater power. oil system for now I could system^'^hat would \leave a white puffy trail behind e path of each uver. �Adventures In a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis That little problem over Central Utah wasn't an accident •• ilot even an Incident •- It was an opportunity! It had been a\proper birthday after all. work seemed endless. y The ^Ine re<|ulred a special mount tlmt had to be jigged and built from scratch. The fuselage was stripped and Inspected. ^Thd gas tank had to / / be removed and rewoi^d, then cheeked repeatedly with water to find pinhole leaks Vent tubes raxv'from tank to gear leg and wing top to prevent ^acuum and vapor lock. A new firewall had to be cut to shape and monnted before the cowling could be patterned. Finally, the fii^la^/ took on Its old familiar form as new fabric was stretched the framoi then doped and painted. Six months after ^forced landing, Second Sweet"* Z ' ■ \ heart again took perky stanci^ on the driveway In front of the house. She was a show plane now. The broad black and idilte checkerboard nose made^ the fact obvious^ Beneath that checker­ board cowl was an engine of 150 horsepo^^ — 25 more horses than before. Tuc of hoses formed between engine and jfli^wall, a multitude omplek passages that woul^^^end oil to vital parts even the earth turned upside down. \The new carburetor would feed fi with equal pressure In spite of the most outland- Ish attitude. A small tank hidden In the upper whig fed special corvus oil/to the exhaust stacks. Sprayed under p , the ollwould Aaim and form 3 <4 A �Adventures in a Biplane Chapter 14 Norm Weis which were now dense smoke guaranteed to enhance the new Het new capabilities / i» »» begged testing, and 1 begged to fly her/ as a pro this time. wothin the Starduster's capabilities* The nigl^t would pass slowly as worry worked its \HKy through a final check of vptal fittings, lock nuts and safeties. There would be little sledf^. / At d»n th. c«:h^/£or«d. md S.c«xl S«.th«rt was again towed to the airport/stail high, and backward. / The engine started inmediately and idled smoothly. 1 sat in the cockpit, grinning the wide grin, feeling outrageous prid.. / Brents hadr4»raus^t me full circle. Grand new ad­ ventures lay ahead, Quixote, X was\^ain head strong after a challenge 9/my own making, this time mounted on a more spirited steed — a Rocinante incarnate. was filled wiUi windmills. / And lay world Ia6Lz^*1' �lo Obc« agala tha Starduatar stood la tha drlYaway In front of ngr Iwusa. Tha Lata aftamoon snnlight nailaanai dsaaUngly frna bar polished wings and iana tha shiaay naw hlack«and«whita checkerboard paint job that decorated her nose. She She was a show plane now, and as 1 stood gasiag / had never looked ■ora hand sone. at her, it seemd to a* that 1 had never loved her so amch. It had taken aw six graelling ■onths of labor to bring her to this noaent* for t while, after the accident in Utah, I had been so disconr^ed that 1 could barely bring nyself to look at the wreckage "of net killed so easily. wlwsd p 10087" Bat dreano are In tine, abacst ioperceptably, to the possibility of repair. thoughts began to turn If I were to try to rebuild her, perhaps this tioa c ,1.1 I could alter the elevator trio so as to get better control redundance.'' sUybo-Jt,, could find a sore powerful engine, and aaybe install tiaot inverted fuel and oil a ya tabl'd always wanted. Maybe I could even add a soske-awklng device that would Burk the path of our naneuvers with a white puffy trail. Maybe.... When 1 finally did set to work, the task IMwmbo seemd almst ovexwheloing. The^ulwm fuM^ngn would have to be stripped, inspected, repaired and recovered. The fuel systen would have to be ewOdwoiy reworked./| The new engim would need a^ now munt, and that would have to be jigged and built from scratch. I'd have to cut end install a new firewall before the new cowling could be pattermd. on and on. And so , (! Yet by 'iTinl i PC'- '■ T — beyond the posnihtlibyAof drawing back. Once again 1 wos firmly in the grip of ny old dreasK—or obsession, if yon will—and I could think of nothing but the day wiien the Starduster and X would take to the air again. dMi now, six months later, that day was meooiy here. I thought about the now engine—20X mre powerful than the old one—about the new carburetor and oil system that would operate as well upside down as right side up, about the smke«mker, about the dosens of other refinements, big and little, that X had added. The night would pass slowly as X reviewed and re-reviewed In my imagination the state of every vital fitting, every lock nut and safety. X did mt suppose 1 mold odoep , 7 u/ �At d*wB the caravan would fora and tha S tardus tar would ba towed to the airport. Parbapa to aoa«-uiutefMUMd bystanders she would seen uuls^resslve**- snrely a rather old**fashloBed airplane rolling awkwardly, tall high and backward. down the highway. would be nuch nore. But efc-tensb to om flfty-flve«year-old schoolteacher she 6^ In a few houra 9^ would again becone hla naglc steed, the Roslnante who could carry hin hseh^bnu'shin,lag wnrld.ftUnd wAab<»endtoowvWhsBsatts fd~ fl tie i mUK � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>The Starduster</em> Draft Manuscript Ch. 9-13 Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1979 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Starduster_DraftManuscript_9Thru13 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/16ea4aae35d4b17e898c9af19780c09b.pdf dad6a098559376aef4742d06b8ecd412 PDF Text Text PHOTO DESCRIPTION FOR "TWO'STORY OUTHOUSE, etc. by: Norm Weis Explanation of Gode: A means absolutely necessary to story; B means better use it, it supports story; C cautionary - would like to see it used; D Delete if you need to. Also: L Keep it large; M Medium S Small is preferred will do; None of the rules are unbreakable, except pictures designated "A" SHOULD be used. Elevated ^thouse built on a log crib in Dillon, V^oming The outhouse collapsed about 1960. Photo courtesy Encampment Museum. 2. B,L The remains of the Ferris'^Haggarty Mine just north of Dillon, Wyoming. The small stream at the base of the building flows over chunks of copper ore, bringing out its bright blue color. hno/ui �Photo Norm Weis Remains of a two'story outhouse that was once connected to the second floor of the largest hotel in Dillon, Wyo­ ming. The roo^^ike structure at mid'height is actually the collapsed portion of the catwalk that gave access to the hotel's second floor. Both levels of the outhouse functioned. Note the single outhouse on a log crib to the right. Photo courtesy Encampment Museum. Grant Jones, the short=live<J^hard=drinking ^ditor of the B. M, ^^^llon Doublejack.Photo courtesy Encampment Museum. Part of the Ferris-Haggarty to Encampment Tramway, the longest in the world at the time of its construction. ^^All the modern conveniences. M or S Notice the "S" added to a later improvement. The reconstructed two-story outhouse built on the Museum grounds in Encampment^about twenty miles east of its original location at Dillon, Wyoming. Things are quiet now in Encampment, Wyoming. At the ’’Three Mile Hog Ranch, had its own door. each crib, or small room. Inside there was room for bed and walkway. Calamity Jane is documented as having been one of the gals ________ at ’’^ree Mile.’’^________________________ __ _______________ / ^Id wood building next to the grout crib house at Three V L or mJ Mile**^as probably the saloon that attracted the soldiers from the dry grounds of Fort Laramie. �Photo Description Norm Wei Hot lead on a two»story outhouse cooled rapidly when the lx tall, but single floor outhouse was found to have been made from an old potato vent. The Wolf Mine at Kirwin, Wyoming has been out of use for nearly one hundred years. Note the coarse slab siding, and the wooden rain gutter. Tumlum or Tumalum Mine had its gallows wheel structure enclosed a tribute to the severe winters in the area. ______________ n___________________________ _____________________________ Construction on Amelia Earh^^rt’s cabin was stopped abruptly when word of her disappearance arrived. Note the propeller windvane, a small tribute to her profession. The quicksand ford leading to Bonneville, Wyoming. Caboose in the clutches of the quicksand of Bad Water Creek. Photo courtesy of J. T. Border. Typical residence in Bonneville is built of old ties and trestle timbers. 18 Deleted A two story outhouse? Right in the middle of the deserted town of Rock Creek? No, it's not an outhouse -- it's a combination water tower/ ice house. Tall structure photographed in Jardine about 196^ was not investigated at the time. In 1984 it was gone. the wood crib on top of the log crib. Note �'23. \ K7 M ) One of several deserted mills in Jardine. It is visited by horses more often than by humans. (EDITOR; Use only one, 22 or 23.) Chinese store and other places of business front by well worn boardwalks lit by old gas lamps now converted to electricity in the town of Virginia City, Montana. Elevated outhouse behind the Dry Goods Store has lost L or M f f contact with the store’s rear entrance. Colo/ Note the second outhouse to the left for ground level use. Reconstructed non functional two story outhouse of Nevada ( L or -My City, Montana, has been a problem to hotel owners. Visitors insist on using it. ’’Nevada City Hotel” was once the Salisbury Stage Station I or SJ of Ruby, Montana. Robbers Roost, originally Pete Daly’s roadhouse, became the ( 7 { “ 7 hangout for outlaws working the Virginia City to Bannack road. Built in 1^62, Bannack’s first jail offered max^um security and minimum ventilation. ( ) Bannack’s second jail had bars made from straightened wagon wheel rims(^ (^TOR; use just one of 29 and 30, if you wis]^ Bannack, Montana’s Meade Hotel had high ceilings and spiral staircases. �■Oto Description^ orm Weis Broadwater, Montana was big and beautiful, and was to have attracted the elite from around the world. Only the rock waterfalls remain at the Natatorium at I ] A Im or sj Broadwater, where Johnny Weismuller learned to swim. One of the many deserted residences that stand in Ring­ ling, Montana, once the home of the famous Ringling Circus folk. ( A, L j Catholic Church of Ringling, Montana now offers shelter for the resident flock of pigeons. A Only a portion of the many buildings that fronted Main Streeiy\of Castle, Montana have survived the hostile winters. J ( A few remnants of the Cumberland Mine, biggest producer in Castle, Montana. f K? M J An overview of Zortman, Montana business district, with saloon at right, and salvation on the hill. Zortman’s jail has seen better times but they still keep the door padlocked! (T^r^ The Ruby Mine stretches over a considerable distance. Waste material was simply dumped in the ravine. Ore cars are still lined up at the entrance to the Ruby Mine at Ruby Gulch, Montana. �Extensive trestle made a level connection between Mine © adit and Mill at Ruby Gulch, Montana. The "old" frames the ''not so old" in Landusky, MontanaQ This old chair, made with loving care, and often repaired, rocks gently in the wind, on a porch in Landusky. Pearl, Colorado, a town that grew on speculation, then like a faulty firecracker, fissled rather than boomed. One of the mines near Pearl that was mostly stock sales and promotion rather than sweat and pay dirt. Only the stoutest structures can withstand the high winds in Caribou, Colorado. 48. Caribou Mine was the richest of the half dozen profitable L or M silver mines that took $2OfOOfiUlQO in precious metal 11/ from the ground. Snows were deep in Caribou. Roomers in the two rock hotels of Caribou often had to enter and leave by way of second floor windows. Note late July snowbanks in distance. This two story outhouse, connected to the Masonic Hall in Crested Butte, Colorado, was the first such structure to be found functional and still in regular use. Enclosed walkways to outhouses were common in Crested Butte, sometimes extending one hundred feet. �1 Photo Description 52. A L, M or Norm Weis City Hall had classy architecture at the front and -----see next photo for rearview I TOR - 53 must follow 52 -- do not use just one) At the rear of the City Hall we find a two story A L, M, or S. "inside outhouse." 54. One of our first astronauts built this summer home below the ski slopes of Crested Butte, Colorado. Note the re- semblance to a re=entry vehicle. 5. L or A three-way outhouse attached to a little used saloon and dance hall offered inside access from both floors, and outside ground level access to the addendum. 56. Second look at Masonic Hall masterpiece shows upper level L or of the bi-level outhouse can be reached by covered stair. 57. A L or A last look at the Masonic Hall two story outhouse in Crested Butte, Colorado. posted at the upper floor: That's the one with a sign "ANYTHING OVER EIGHT POUNDS MUST BE LOWERED BY ROPE." Near the Slum^ullion mud slide south of Lake City, Colorado lie the graves of five meny^killed and cannibalized by one Alfred E. Packer. Marker at grave site listsy^the edible victims of Alfred E. Packer. kvno �Description Norm Weis f —\ The students showed their opinion of the c^ow at the \ L oir 1*1 f J Memorial Union Grill at the University of Colorado by Voting in an appropriate name. f ) Surface works of the Sunrise Mine of Sunrise, Wyoming make up only a part of the equipment needed for subsi­ dence mining, 7^6 ;---------- sixty-five f A“ “*M \----------/ longest garage in the world claims to hold cars, but has only fortycodd doors. I I Street of Cascade Springs, South Dakota holds the } Allen Bank, Mercantile, and, hidden under the trees, a saloon^bowling alley combination. N f S7*M 1 J k Bowling alley added to rear of saloon utilized small pins and grapefruit sized balls — one of the first duck pin alleys in the area. Bathhouse-Hotel combination was built beside small hot W spring that town builder Allen hoped would outdo the larger hot springs to the north. Tarpaper covered shaft head building was headquarters and first stage concentrator for the Rusty Mine. /^7r / A, M View through well shaded town of Tinton, South Dakota, �brm Weis Community Hall had most windows boarded over, but one window, covered with chicken.wire, had been broken through, giving access to the town's only resident -a mountain lion. Home of Anna B. Tailant, early visitor to the Black Hills and long time teacher and postmistress. Old jail in Rochford, South Dakota, was lined with steel plate, with brick inside and rock outside. Standby Mine and Mill at east edge of Rochford, is now so rotted that snooping about is hazardous, especially on the trestles and stairways. Alta Lodi Mine and Mill near Myersville, South Dakota(^ A long deserted miner's cabin in Myersville, South Dakota. A view down the main drag of Myersville. Myersville's finest home, where the 1884 book "Things Worth Knowing" was found in the attic. The two story outhouse that the author drove 800 miles to see turned out to be a deserted skeet house. ■ I Adobe outhouse served the local school kids. Building in background was the mansion of Howard E. Perry, prime mover of Terlingua, Texas. �Norm Weis 79. M or Sy Head frame of Mine No. 245 just east of Terlingua, is framed by doorway of miner's cabin. Rock from which miner's cabin was constructed was more substantial than the deposit of mercury^^in the mine nearby. Well worn photo of a two story outhouse that hung in the hotel at Oatman, Arizona. The photo carried no label or information, and no one knew where the outhouse originally existed. The only unusual outhouse in Oatman, Arizona. The rock crib was unique. The wild burros visit Oatman every afternoon for a hand^ out of popcorn and candy. Ove review of Oatman, Arizona, showing quartz outcrop above town. Such outcrops meant mineralization, and acted as a magnet to prospectors. EDITOR; please crop to lines, and you may place this photo anywhere on pages 91, 92, 93.1"—— > Powder house outhouse of Gold Point, Nevada, source of a variety of stories. Although Goldfield, Nevada is not entirely deserted, a number of very substantial buildings like this four story brick and stone hotel, have been long vacant. �Photo Description Norm Wei Santa Fe Club of Goldfield, Nevada has catered to miners for eighty years. Business was good when miners could trade chunks of'^igh graded for drinks. I 88 A S7*M I Charlie Cecchini, the ranking old timer of Goldfield, and story teller extra ordinary. 89 (Z X7*M 1 -- y Mill ruins on the left, mess hall and kitchen on the right, with old brick schoolhouse at mid distance, make up the remains of Grantsville, Nevada. Stout adobe outhouse manages an upright stance in spite of losing two walls. Note tall vent for odor-free operation. V 31. J W. T. (Bill) James, and T. H. (Tom) James, guardians of Humbolt, Nevada history. f ( 92. J Somewhere among these ruins of Humbolt was the saloon where a shootout left no survivors. 93.' M ( 1 The open door of this Humbolt outhouse invites, the sign denies. Use this facility with mixed feelings. /^94. ( \ Mohawk Mill lies to the east of Johnsville, California. 1 L or M 1 Sixty stamps of 600 pounds lifted eight inches and dropped in turn, crushing 150 tons of ore per day. Hotel and firehouse in the town of Johnsville. \ Town was L or M J ' named after William Johns, superintendent of combined mining operations. �(2^ Norm Wei Photo Description The longest single-span wooden covered bridge in the United States, and probably the world. Structure was recently declared a California Historical Landmark. Photo from ''Helldorados, Ghosts and Camps of the Old Southwest." J. R. Meeks combination grocery, cafe, bar and justice court served the public for seventy-five years in Camptonville, California. Small version of the Pelton wheel displayed on monument in Camptonville. Monument was erected by the hell=rais­ ing E. Clampus Vitus Brotherhood. Tiny jail seldom saw service. HasjZ^ apparently used a nut and bolt locking system. Classy little miner's house of Cornucopia, Oregon, now an even classier vacation home, sported a diamond window and outside stairway to upper floor. Mine structures adjacent to the Coulter Tunnel, where ice cold air and ice cok/ water pour forth. Large schoolhouse of Homestead, Oregon, evidences the great number of families that once lived in the now deserted company town. Dining halls, pastimes, and probably bunkhouses for single miners of the Homestead Mine Company. kV^O/LSL �Norm Weis Looking upstream along Canyon Creek (see text for a more descriptive name) in the town of Burke, Idaho. Peaked roof is schoolhouse. X^O5.A. f k, M A Typical creek-drop attached outhouse common to most homes along the waterway. The residents’ regularity was public knowledge, of course. Z , A, L 1 I crofoi< Also} The George Gulch outhouse-bridge combination of Burke, N Idaho. It may be the only such structure in existence. K \ L or M J Rear view of bridge-outhouse implies a community use by f I Z108. , The bridge portion of the combo is wide enough and stout k L or My/ /<109. [ A, M residents of several homes. ) enough to handle cars and light trucks. This creek drop, self-flushing outhouse required a small diversion dam to course water under the drop zone. ^10. \ f kt M j The ’’Sneaky Pete” model is guaranteed to provide the ultimate in privacy. Just where the back door once led is a mystery. A I And where is the exit? L or Photo from ’’Ghost Towns of the Nor thwe st.” ______ _____ _ 1 Masonic Hall of Silver City, Idaho, straddles Jordan Creek. \L or Note the attached outhouses that drop into the creek. 1 Overview of Silver City, Idaho, looking north. The Idaho ( L or M y Hotel is at center left, butcher shop, Leonard’s Store and Barber Shop line up on the near right. �Photo Description 11^ Norm Weis \ j Idaho Hotel is still '*in business," catering to tourists, L or M / Qffgj-ing guided tours and refreshments. 115. Fanciest residence in Silver City was the Stoddard M or S So house. Stoddard was a mine investor, sawmill owner , and rancher. Colo/ \ M or S/ / 117. Baling wire holds the splayed bottom of this tall out- house together. Walkway to outhouse may have been wider at one time. M or S it gives [onlyja one doooption. EDITOR; 117 should follow 116 - same outhous^ 118. L or M Now This walk-through style tall house is behind the tin shop and newspaper office. Proximity to the creek, which runs under the Masonic Hall just behind, made the annual spring cleanout a cinch. 119. Well kept, and still used outhouse, has been patched and repatched with whatever material was at hand. There’a message here somewhere. 121. L or M Fancy paint job on the water tank was meant to lure buyers of lots in the proposed town of Teapot, Wyoming. Teapot never amounted to much -- a house or two, a number of oil wells, and some basic refining equipment. �Photo descripti 123. A L or Norm Weis Old wooden oil pumping rig is one of the last in exis- Note the hefty'talking beamV^that pivots on tance. the top of the vertical timber. —H.-UUIW- I—- ■ J nui IIHIlW!■ HWJ.. JII. ■ iri T.'- — - ■ Iron slowly replaced the wooden rig parts. / 1 V M or S j Here the wheels iron, but have the same design used in older wooden _ variety. f ’ X Pimping station hastened oil from the well to the refinery. /Long deserted, this old pimp stands in Ferris, Wyoming, k a town that was once called Sinclair Station 3. Photograph was taken from a partially stabilized sand dune that once approached town on a southwest wind. It will move again, and the houses of Ferris, Wyoming, will be buried. \ Headquarters of the ^Little Ilan MineV^as it became known f \ L or M J discovery of a mummified Indian baby in a nearby cave. f I —* \ Rock Cavalry bam of Fort Washakie, now a garage for the M or S / state Highway Department, still harbors a ghost that walks the wood floors in cavalry boots, according to some of the men that work there. Little remains of Jim Bridge?^s original fortified store, ( IM or SI — many buildings, like this officers'^ quarters built when the Army took over, can be found reconstructed at the site. �Photo descriptions^ (5^rm Vfeis View of distant elk as seen through ’’Old Gabe’s” Crystal Mountain. The pure diamond had a tendency to magnify the elk’s image. walked up to bleed it. After shooting the elk, Bridger ”Thet dum elk was twenty-five miles away!” 1^.11 ini»w fill II ■111Mil .■!.irni»wwi—i*i——WWW.IO—wwjw—iw*gn.ii». ii ~ I I ti*— I ‘^~.B‘wn~-r in - f —* \ Central Pacific and Union Pacific tracks met at Promontory by negotiation, but ^r«o/es ran past each other without joining for hundred of miles. ’ \ ’’White Water Bert” lives alone amid the vast remains of \L or deserted mine and mill in Re’tallack, British Columbia. /^33 f —* I Frequent floods on Carpenter Creek wiped out the boardwalks f IL or M / dock-like streets of Sandon, B.C. Fires took most of the remainder. Fort Steele’s central attraction is the Musetim built to duplicate the original Wasa Hotel. The ’’long hair and the hard hat” work well together, re­ constructing the 1887 Royal Canadian Mounted Police barracks, using only the tools of the time. Finished portion of the post is in background. Broad axe falls and chips fly as another log is squared for fitting. No chain saws were allowed, and all holes were drilled by hand without benefit of electricity. Fort Steele’s water tower can be seen in the background. EDITOR: Both 135 and 136 may be used, or just 135. �^Norm Weis (^oto Description^ /137 Z \ Perry Creek water wheel was freighted twenty-five miles \M or S pqj.|. Steele as an example of early utilization of water power in the mining effort. 138. A, M Oddly roofed outhouse in Fort Steele, B. C. is securely anchored by four posts. Old shops along Main Street are in the background. ZTsg. f A, M \ It was only a tiny sapling a few years after the child was buried. Now the tree occupies the complete grave site in iVild Horse, B.C. /140?^ \ ( A, L Owner of the Long Him Store in Lundbreck, Alberta, bemoaned the loss of the two story outhouse he purchased as a sales gimmick. He found it had been donated earlier to the Heritage Park in Calgary. In Lundbreck, Alberta, this gas station and store con­ stitute a "shopping center." ...................................................................... ■i.w » . i- Wainwright Hotel of Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta, was said to have the old Lundbreck two story outhouse attached to the rear. World's finest two story outhouse, a two door four-holer over a four door eight-holer, with a cupola on top. And everything works! Everything functions in Heritage Park, including ste>-n wheelers and steam engines. You can even j2?/3!^/e fresh d baked brea^ from the old bakery. �Wei^^ (^^^Photo Description^ A Exact replica of the Hudson Bay Company’s Rocky Moun- \M or Sj House h^s been built on the grounds of Heritage —* J -- "'*'>* f 146 5^^ Park. ............... . — '' "* *... . —.. ... ...... ........ .... — '1 j Outside of the rebuilt Banff barracks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, - a constable from years past answers questions and spins a few yams. X 1^7 / X7”L \v \ / Timmerman rebuilt the original Windsor Hotel two story outhouse quite faithfully. It stands in its original location, minus, of course, the hotel it originally served. Now it serves the public, and brings a few customers into the Long Him Store No. 7. ——. ��LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Library of Congress CatalogIng-in-PublIcatlon Data Weis, Norm. 1923A lighthearted tour of the West on a search for the two-story outhouse / by Norman D. Weis ; photographs by the author. p. cm. ISBN 0-87004-326-9 : (^9.95> 1. Cities and towns. Ruined, extinct, etc.—West (U.S.) 2. Cities and towns. Ruined, etc.—Canada, Western. 3. West (U.S.)-Descrlptlon and travel —1981- 4. Canada. Western—DescriptIon and travel. 5. Weis, Norm, 1923—Journeys—West (U.S.) 6. Weis, Norm, 1923—Journeys—Canada, Western. I. Title. F595.3.W45 198^ 917.8—dc19 87-35425 CIP ��Weis, TwosStox7 Guthouse. [ Outhouses have not been Norm Weid<4 only interest* After World War 11, he decided he valued time more than money, so he fell back on his gWWiWSTfc- physics degree and became a high school science teacher. This gave him his summers off plus a job that he thoroughly enjoyed the rest of the year. ( DuringRummer vacations. Hr. Weis explored other interests., Be writing in the late'{>$ds and discovered that he loved it. He has published several picture books on wildlife -- one the result of an intensive four^year study of grizzly bears. towns were another of his fascinations. Twelve years of wandering in and out of ghost towns provided the groundwork for two more books: Ghost Towns of the Northwest and Helldorados. Ghosts and Camps of the Old Southwest. Then his love of flying returned and he flew his hand^built tiny red and white biplane from coast to coast and into the world of air racing and aerobatics. Of course, there was a book there too, called. The Starduster. zlfr. Weis is a retired physics instructor from Casper College, Wyoming. He resides in Wyoming, fishing, traveling and photographing, and wx*iting of his experiences. �Weis, Two=Story Outhouse I Laughter, lies and lambency J- travel with these and tbs"SMM»r as I—* you cover eleven states and four Canadian provinces looking for tvos story outhouses -- the ultimate in yesterdaj^ feats of sanitary n, engineex*ing. [foii/ll find outhouses on hi^ trestles, outhouses hanging over river banks, creek straddlers, leaners, open=air jobs, outhousesbridge combos, and one superlative specimen in Alberta a two=:door fours holer on top of a four=door eij^ht=holer^ topped with a cupola. [where you don\/fc find tall outhouses, you will find tall stories. --Jim Bridger, legendary mountainy^ clear up there you claim^ the air bo ai. see for three days. --The crooked sheriff of Bannack, Montana, M ni^t and \>bha6e<i<X himself during the day. led hie gang at --The trial and conviction of Alfred E. Packer, in Lake City, M I Colorado, for cannibalism and murder. Packer ate five men — all M democrats. I^er 100 photographs show the outhouses as they were and as they now exist. Some of the old=timers, always good for a measure of history mixed with a goodly number of downrii^t lies, are pictured. [^yone who enjoys the unusual, or a good story, or has ever had the dubious pleasure of usingVthe little house out bac^ will find this book delightful. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Documents Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Two-Story Outhouse</em> Book Information Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/">https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1987 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_TwoStoryOuthouse_BookInfo Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/de6d53b987d3dfc35af891d8b87945af.pdf e24efcb49997b407a569f5abb1ca1917 PDF Text Text Weis, TwosStory Outhouse FM p. 1 TWO=STORI ODTfiOUS^ �gram BOOKS BT AUTHOR All About Grizzly Bears All About the WhitesTailed Deer Ghost Towns of the Northwest Belldorados« Ghosts and Camps ^e Starbuster the Old Southwest �< - - ------------------x^'Weie, Two=Story Outhoosei FM p. 3 - A- Id^thearted Tour of the West 0n u Search for '7’k, << Two=story Outhouse^TV-— Norman D» Weis PHOTOGRAPHS BT THE AUTHOR The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd. Caldwell, Idaho, 83605 1987 �Weie, TwosStory Ottthousei ^1987 by­ Norman D. Weis Casper, Wyoming AU Righ^Reserved �Weis, Two=Story duthousei TO p. 5 To Mike Herbison Who thought this book should be entitled, Early American Evacuation With special thanks to Jon Brady and Len Brakke L �Weis, TwosStozy Outhouse^ �Weis, TwoaiStory Outhouse^ COMTBITS of Illustrations Introduction Part I ------------- ..................................... ................................. .................................................... Wyoming Dillon Bncampment Horse Shoe Springs . Fort Laramie Kirwin .................................................................. ............................................ Bonneville Lost Cabin .................................................... Dale City Part II pj- Montana Jardine Virginia City Ringling Castle ............................................... ............................................. Zortman, Landusky and Aahland The Good Old Days ^^Sid^Minnesota^ . ............... Part III Colorado ■■ - rl Pearl Caribou Crested Butte .................................... Lake City ■" ................................... Lost Springs . ............................................. Black Hills Area Myersville Part V X Tcms Terlingua ................................... ..................................................................................... �Weis, Two=«tory Outhouse, Part VI -7 Arizona Oatman .............................................. Part VII ~ Nevada ....................................... Gold Point Goldfield Ione, Berlin and Grantsville .......... Reno Part VIH;^ California Johnsville ■:<Jaffli6on^ ..................................... Camptonville Part^ ............................ Qregeg .............................................. Cornucopia Homestead Part_X J- 1^0 Wallace and Murray Burke Silver City ................................................... Wyoming Part XI ................................... Teapot Dome The Pedro Mountains Independence Rock .......................... ................................... Signor, Rongia Fort Bridger Part XII J- Utah •" *** rd Promontory Part XIII ................................................ «... ......................................................................... Canada British Columbia ---------- «-------------Biondel Betallack^ Port Steele Alberta Nordegg .................................................................. Lundbreck Manitoba Flin Flon Saskatchewan La Ronge Alberta Calgary INDEX ..................................... �LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS O 6 (3) Elevated oathouee in Dillon, Wyoming Remains of the Ferris=Raggarty Mine Remains of a two=story outhouse G) Grant Jones (S) Part of FerrissHaggarty to fiacaaqjment tramway © All the modem conveniences ...................................................... Reconstructed two=story outhouse, Encampment Things are quiet now Three Mile Hog Ranch ............................................... .............................................................................................................. <s> Old wood building at Three Mile (S) Outhouse made from an old potato vent Wolf Mine at Kirwin, Wyoming (S) ................................ ...................................................................................... Tumlum gallows wheel structure ................................... & Amelia EarhartJ^s cabin Quicksand ford leading to Bonneville, Wyoming ....................... Caboose in quicksand of Bad Water Creek Qny Typieal Residence in Boxineville .............................. ....................................... Outhouse in the middle of Rock Creek? . ............................ .. Combination water tower and ice house Tall structure in Jardine .................. Deserted mill in Jardine Chinese st^e in Virginia City, Montana Elevated outhouse behind dry goods store . .............. ......................... ........................................... Reconstructed nonfunctional outhouse in Nevada City, Montana Nevada,City Hotel �Weis* Tw^Story Guthouse^ List of 311ttstrations_^ Bobbers Roost Bannacl^ first jail ................................... BannacU^iZs second jail ........................................ The Meade Hotel in Bannack, Montana •••••••.••• Broadwa^ter, Montana .................... ......................................... .. Rock waterfalls from natatorium ..................................................................... Desertedk residence in Ringling, Montana . Catholic church in Ringling . .......................... Building fronting Main Street in Castle, Montana Remnant^ of the Cumberland Mine .................... ................... .................................... Overview of Zortman, Montana Zortmaidk/s jail has seen better times The Ruby Mine Ore cars lined up at Ruby Mine ....................................... Extensive trestle Old frames the not so old Old rocking chair in Landusky Pearly Coloradg^izzled ....................... ........................................................................................................... One of ^he mines near Pearl ..................................................................... Chlly stout structures can withstand hi^ winds in Caribou Caribou Mine ................................................................ . ................ Snows were deep in Caribou Twosstory outhouse in Crested Butte, Colorado ........... Ihclosed walkway in Crested Butte . City Hall had classy architecture ..................................... \jTnside puthous^^at the rear of City Hall ...................................................... �Weis* Two^^tory ^thoui^ List of illustrations Astronau'^s summer home in Crested Butte A three=wa7.outhouse Masonic hall masterpiece Masonic hall two=^story outhouse* Crested Butte ..................................... Graves of* five men said to be cannibalized Alfred Packeis/s victims .......................................... Memorials Union Grill* University of Colorado Surface works of the Sunrise Mine Longest garage in the world ............................................................. Main Street* Cascade Springs* South Dakota Bowling alley added to rear of saloon Bathhouse=Hotel combination ....................................... Tarpaper=covered shaft head building View •of Tinton* South Dakota ................................................................................... ......................................................................................................... Community hall is residence of a mountain lion ........................................................... Home of Anna B. Tailant ....................................... Old jail in Bochford* South Dakota ................................ ................................................ Standby mine and mill Alta* Lodi mine and mill ................................................. Deserted minei^ cabin in Myersville* South Dakota The main drag of Myersville Myersvill^s finest home A deserted skeet house Adobe outhouse in Terlingua* Texas Head frame of Mine No. 2^5 ............................................ .. ........................................... Bock fsom which mine]M4 cabin was constructed Well worn photo of two-story outhouse .................................................... �Vela, TwgaCtor7 ftttkMM pag. < The only unusual outhouse in Oatman, Arizona Wild burros visit Oatman . Overvlev of Oatman, Arizona Powder house outhouse in Gold Point, Nevada ........................................................... Substantial building in Goldfield, Nevada ^7) Ssmta Fe club of Goldfield, Nevada ........... ........... ......... Charlie Ceechini of Goldfield Bemains of Grantsville, Nevada ••..... . ....................... Stout adobe outhouse Bill and Tom James, of Numbolt, Nevada The ruins of Numbolt Open door of Numbolt outhouse Mohawk Mill, to the east of Johnsville, California Hotel aihd firehouse in Johnsville . . ............................... .. ............................ The longest singlexspan wooden covered bridge in the U.S. jTTb. Medk/s in Camptonville, California . ..................... .. Small version of the Pelton wheel ............................... Tiny jail seldom saw service Classy mine?</8 house in Cornucopia, Oregon . Nine structures adjacent to the Coulter Tunnel . Large schoolhouse in Homestead, Oregon ................................................................................. lousing for single miners of the looestead Mine Company I i6 �1^is, Two^^ory Outhousei List of illustrations I ® Looking upstream along Canyon Creek Typical creek*drop attached outhouse ...»...•• George Gulc^ outhousesbridge combination Rear Tiew'of bridge=outhouse Bridge portion of the combo A. creek drop, eelf=flushing outhouse .............................................................................. \jSneaky ,Pet^/ model And whene is the exit? •••..•• ............................................• Hasonicthall* Silver City, Idaho Overview, of Silver City, Idaho Idaho Botel is still\>ln busines^ fl£} Stoddard residence in Silver City //^ Baling «ire holds this outhouse together Walkway gives a oue=door option Walk=thz*pugh style tall house �Weis, Two=^ory Guthouse List of Illustrations Fpage 5’ Although patched* this outhouse is well kept and still used Therms a message here somewhere Vater tank in Teapot, Wyoming ....................................... Teapot never amounted to much Old wooden oil'pumping rig ................................................................... Iron replaced •the wooden zd.g parts Old oil pump in Ferris* Wyoming ..................................... .......................................... Sand dunes will bury Ferris Headquarters* of Little Maa Mine ................................................................................. Kock cavalry ham of Fort Washakie Reconstructed officer^ quarters ...................... View of elk through Crystal Mountain .................................................... Central Pacific and Union Pacific tracks met at Promontory White Water Bert lives in Ketallack, B. C .................. ................ ....... Floods wipe out streets of Sandon, Fort Steel^^s museum duplicates Wasa Hotel ........................................................... The'oiong hair and the hard hawork well together Another log is squared for fitting Perry Creek water wheel (j^ Oddly roofed outhouse in Fort Steel^B^f^. ..................................... �Weis, TwosStory fluthousel List of illustrations marker Fh in Wild Horse, B« C« ...................................................... Long Him store in Lundbreck, Alberta ................................................. A '€(^hopping centei^n LnndbreckAlberta ..................................... Wainwright Hotal'^, Heritage Park, in Calgary, Alberta Worl(}<4 finest two^story outhouse .......... ............................................ Ererything functions in Heritage Park Replica of Hudson Bay Compan;^ Rocky Mountain Bouse Constable of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Don Timmerman rebuilt the original Windsor Hotel ............... ........... ............................................... ^15' �IOI<I 5 . .4 Elevated ^thouse built on a log crib in Dillon, Wyoming, The outhouse collapsed about 1960. courtesy Encampment Museum The remains of the Ferris^Haggarty Mine just north of A Dillon, Vtyoming. The small stream at the base of the building flows over chunks of copper ore, bringing out its bright blue color. Ms', (o �I COO = Shti'ci <aXP S Remains of a two^story outhouse that was once connected to the second floor of the largest hotel in Dillon, Wyo­ ming. The roof^ike structure at mid=:height is actually A catwalk that gave access to (4. the collapsed portion of the hotelVs second floor. functioned. Both levels of the outhouse Note the single outhouse on a log crib to ^ourtesy Encampment Museunu^feZT 14 Grant Jones, the short=^lived<hard=drinking Editor of the --------- -—------------------------- -X Dillon Doublejack.Plagto^ourtesy Encampment Museum Part of the Ferris=Haggarty to Encampment Tramway, the A e- ' longest in the world at the time of its construction. All the modem conveniences. Notice the ’^^*^^ded to osekt’ Msp ; explain a later improvement. f>. 1^ f The reconstructed two=story outhouse built on the ^useum grounds in Encampment^about twenty miles east of its Ms|) f.fl original location at Dillon, Wyoming. Things are quiet now in Encampment, Wyoming. At the *^hree Mile Hog Ranch,’^ach crib, or small room, had its own door. ' Inside there was room for bed and walkway. I (>• Calamity Jane is documented as having been one of the gals at *4hree Mile.*^ 'Old wood building next to the grout crib house Mile”^as probably the saloon that attracted the soldiers from the dry grounds of Fort Laramie, -3a 5-4^ I f' �Hot lead on a two=story outhouse cooled rapidly when the tall, but single-floor outhouse was found to have been A made from an old potato vent. The Wolf Mine at Kirwin, WyomingAhas been out of use for Note the coarse slab siding, nearly Q^e—hund-red years. and the wooden rain gutter. Tumlum or Tumalum Mine had its gallows wheel structure enclosed -- a tribute to the severe winters in the area. - H Construction on Amelia Earh^^rt'^J^s cabin was stopped abruptly when word of her disappearance arrived. Note the propeller windvane, a small tribute to her profession. •^^~~The quicksand ford leading to Bonneville, Wyoming. Caboose in the clutches of the quicksand of Bad Water 'I Creek, ■^trnarfy^ourtesy e/jdT. Border.^— '“7 yg’----------- "------------- Typical residence in Bonneville is built of old ties C and trestle timbers. ---- /Deleted}^- A two-story outhouse? Right in the middle of the deserted town of Rock Creek? No, itVs not an outhouse -- itVA a combination water tower/— ice house. ' A r Tall structure photographed in Jardine about 196^ was not investigated at the time. In 1984 it was gone. the wood crib on top of the log crib. Note �€ne of several dtisertud mlllj in Jagdiiw.< One of several deserted mills in Jardine. It is visited by horses more often than by humans. ' A pl, ♦ J business fron.^ by well= worn hoar<:wai;k.'j)fR £7-rni-lan.pgaot!;'3o''^verted to (electrlcity in the town of Virginia City, Montana. Elevated outhouse behind the tore has lost contact with the stord^/s rear entrance. Note the second outhouse to the left for ground level use. Reconstructed non^functional twoastoay outhouse Nevada City. Montana, has been a problem to hotel owners. I Visitors insist on using it. Nevada City Hotel was once the Salisbury Stage ^tation of Ruby, Montana. ^9. p-3^ Robbers Roost, originally Pete DalyVs roadhouse, became the |angout for outlaws working the Virginia City to Bannack road. s, Built in 1^62, BannackO^ first jail offered maxjJLn security minimum ventilation. Bannack^ second jail had bars made from straightened wagon wheel rima^ Hotel^had high ceilings and �Broadwater, Montana^-was big and beautiful, and attract-^ the elite from around the world. Only the rock waterfalls remain the ^^atatorium at Broadwater, where Johnny Weismuller learned to swim. One of the many deserted residences that stand in Ring^ Montana, once the home of the famous Ringling Circus folk. CathoJ^ic ^hurch ■_for Ringling, Montan^now offers shelter resident flock of pigeons. Only a portion of the many buildings that fronted Main Castle, Montan^have survived the hostile winters. J A few remnants of the Cumberland Mine, biggest producer l^in Castle, Montana. overview of Zortman, Montan^business district, with [^aloon at right, and salvation on the hill. ZortmarfYs jail has seen better times — but they still [keep the door padlocked! The Ruby Mine stretches over a considerable distance. V^ste material was simply dumped in the ravine. Ore cars are still lined up at the entrance to the Ruby Mine at Ruby Gulch, Montana. �CiU Extensive trestle made a level connection between^ine ^dit and Mill at Ruby Gulch, Montana. frames the not so old in Landusky, Montan^^) This old chair, made with loving care, and often repaired, ^ocks gently in the wind/^n a porch in Landusky, Pearl, Colorado, a town that grew on speculation, then TV r , oJr (jj-ke a faulty firecracker, fi«led,rather than boomed. One of the mines near Pear was mostly stock sales and promotion rather than sweat and pay dirt. Only the stoutest structures can withstand the high winds *—in Caribou, Colorado. Caribou Mine was the richest of the half-dozen profitable ►V't 11/ a rq Sliver mines that took $20in precious metal from the ground. ^^^Snows were deep in Caribou. Roomers in the two rock hotels of Caribou often had to enter and leave by way of second= A floor windows. Note late July snowbanks in distance. This two^story outhouse, connected to the Masonic Mall in ^0 H'S. p- Crested Butte, Colorado, was the first such structure to be found functional and still in regular use. Enclosed walkway^ to outhouses were common in Crested Butte Hs, e- (0(3 sometimes ex^nding one hundred feet7)' �City Hall had classy architecture at the front and next -photo f43r rca-rvinsw— : the rear of the City Hall we find a two^story ns ide outhouse.'^ Oiie of our first astronauts built this summer home below the ski slopes of Crested Butte, Colorado. semblance to a re^^try vehicle. Note the re­ a little used saloon and dance hal^offered inside access from both floors, and outside ground level access to the addendum. look at Masonic Mall masterpiece shows upper level of: the bi-level outhouse can be reached by covered stair. K last look at the Masonic ^all two^tory outhouse in 7^ Crested Butte, Colorado. posted at the upper floor: That'^s the one with a sign ’^STyTHING OVER EIGHT POUNDS IjMUST BE LOWERED BY ROPE. ^Near the Slumgullion mud slide south of Lake City, Colora one Alfred E. Packer. 3 Marker at grave site listSkthe edible victims of Alfred E Packer. �A 3J (@- students showed their opinion of the cAow at the Memorial Union ^rill at the University of Colorado by Hating in an appropriate name. 15, J’. '^5 Surface works of the Sunrise MineSunrise, WyomingA make up only a part of the equipment needed for subsi- j^nce mining. The longest garage in the world claims to hold sixty-five Cars, but has only forty—odd doors. Main Street of Cascade Springs, South Dakota^hoIds the h_ Allen Bank,^Mercantile, and/hidden under the trees, a ^loon=bowling alley combination. Bowling alley added to rear of saloon utilized small pins and grapefruit^sized balls one of the first duck pin otel combination was built beside small hot A town builder Allen hoped would outdo the larger hot springs to the north. Ms, p r^overed shaft head building was headquarters and first stage concentrator for the Rusty Mine. Ns. p' view t^Bseeigh well shaded town of Tinton, South Dakot^ shows most residences to be covered with red tarpaper. �Community ^all had most windows boarded over, but one window, covered with chicken wire, had been broken through, giving access to the towi4^ only resident -a mountain lion. Home of Anna B. Tailant, early visitor to the Black Hills and long-time teacher and postmistress. ^3 is. Old jail in Rochford, South DakotaA was lined with steel plate'^with brick inside and rock outside. /. I. Standby ^line and ^ill at^east edge of Rochford, is now so rotted that snooping about is hazardous, especially on the trestles and stairways. ^^-Qlta Lodi ^ine and ^ill near Myersville, South Dakota(^ A long deserted mine^<Zs cabin in Myersvill^/f\^ South Dakota. A view down the main drag of Myersville. Myersville'^ finest home, where the 1884 book, ^Things Worth Knowing was found in the attic. The two=story outhouse that the author drove miles to see turned out to be a deserted skeet house. Adobe outhouse served the local school kids. Building in background was the mansion of Howard E. Perry, prime mover of Terlingua, Texas. �1 (jja Head frame of Mine No. 24^ust east of Terlingua, is Ms. framed by doorway of minei?</s cabin. Rock from which mine^\ys cabin was constructed was more than the deposit of mercuryy|in the mine Well worn photo of a two^story outhouse that hung in the VI hotel at Oatman, Arizona. The photo carried no label or information, and no one knew where the outhouse originally existed. The only unusual outhouse in Oatman The rock crib was unique. . f’- The wild burros visit Oatman every afternoon for a hand^ out of popcorn and candy. Ove review of Oatman, Arizona, showing quartz outcrop above town. Such outcrops meant mineralization, and acted as a magnet to prospectors. Powder house outhouse of Gold Point, Nevada, source of [a variety of stories. Although Goldfield, Nevad^is not entirely deserted, a number of very substantial building^like this fourcstory brick and stone hotel, have been long vacant. �Ct S>< I lDo - Santa Fe Club of Goldfield, Nevad^has catered to miners for eighty years. Business was good when miners could trade chunks of'^igh graded for drinks. ie Cecchini, the ranking old-timer " of Goldfield, and story teller extraordinary. Mill ruins on the left, mess hall and kitchen on the right with old brick schoolhouse at mid=distance, make up the /I remains of Grantsville, Nevada. outhouse manages an upright stance in spite of losing two walls. Note tall vent for odor-free operation. Bill^James, and T. H. 4Tom)^ James, guardians of Humbolt, Nevad^history. Somewhere among these ruins of Humbolt was the saloon where a shoot but left no survivors. The open door of this Humbolt outhouse invites, the sign denies. & Use this facility with mixed feelings. Mohawk Mill lies to the east of Johnsville, California. Sixty stamps of 600 pounds lifted eight inches and dropped in turn, crushing 150 tons of ore per day. /^otel and firehouse in the town of Johnsville. Town was named after William Johns, superintendent of combined mining operations. �The longest single-span wooden covered bridge in the United States, and probably the world. Structure was lared a California Historical Landmark. ''C" {TbiTn rom -^lldorados, Gho^s ^d Camp.s 'TO Southwest. O.’^^ee^ combination grocery, cafe, bar and court served the public for seventy^five years in Ms. Camptonville, California. Small version of the Pelton wheel displayed on monument Monument was erected by the hell-raisA ing EJ Clampus Vitus Brotherhood. in Camptonville. Is. J)« JO? Hasp 4s. f- ’o') and bolt locking system. ___ M lassy littlel ^inei</^ house Is. apparently used a nut even classier 1^0 vacation home, Cornucopia, Oregon, now an sported a diamond window _and outside stairway to upper floor. j^^ine structures adjacent to the Coulter Tunnel, where ice^^ Icold air and ice=cold water pour forth. \s. J) Large schoolhouse )'ln5'CA,’ 45. 11^ |o Homestead, Oregon, evidences the great number of families that once lived in the now deserted company town. fining halls. pastlmeJ^^and probably bunkhouses for single Iminers of the Homestead Mine Company. �= ) Looking upstream along Canyon Creek<4see text for^a more Ms. descriptive name^ in the town of Burke, Idaho. Peaked roof is schoolhouse. Typical creek-drop attached outhouse common to most homes Ms. 1)^ along the waterway, The resident ^regularity was public knowledge, of course. The George Gulch outhouse-bridge combination of Burke Idaho. It may be the only such structure in existance. Rear view of bridge-outhouse implies a community use by esidents of several homes. The bridge portion of the combo is wide enough and stout enough to handle cars and light trucks. □o. self-flushing outhouse required a small p, lAc diversion dam to course water under the drop zone. no ts. p, 1^1 TheVl^neaky PetdC/model is guaranteed to provide the ultimate in privacy. Just where the back door once led is a mystery. And where is the exit? Ms Ghost Towns of the Northwest. Masonic all of Silver City, Idaho, straddles Jordan Creek. Note the attached outhouses that drop into the creek. , 1^3 Overview of Silver City, Idaho, looking north. The Idaho Hotel is at center left, butcher shop, LeonarcK/s Store and Barber Shop line up on the near right. �I uJd - Idaho Hotel is still H3. offering guided tours and refreshments. P' Fanciest residence in Silver City was the Stoddard house. Stoddard was a mine investor, sawmill owner , and rancher. Baling wire holds the splayed bottom of this tall ou^ Ms . house together. Ms > Walkway to outhouse may have been wider at one time. it gives 1^4 Now pThis walk-through style tall house is behind the tin shop and newspaper office. Proximity to the ereek, which runs under the Masonic Mall just behind, made the annual spring ^leanout a cinch. Well kept ^nd still usec^^uthouse / has been patched and nJ . /2d. ^epatched with whatever material was at hand. I3.C s a message here somewhere. paint job on the water tank was meant to lure ^uyers of lots in the proposed town of Teapot, Wyoming. leapot never amounted to much — a house or two, a number of oil wells, and some basic refining equipment. �s<?/ aJ2i as Old wooden oil pumping rig is one of the last in exis Ms r |3. t^nce. Note the hefty''talking beatn^that pivots on _the top of the vertical timber. Here the wheels Ms, |s’. are of iron, but have the same design used in older wooden variety. Pumping station hastened oil from the well to the refine Long deserted, this old pump stands in Ferris, Wyomin^z^ a town that was once called Sinclair Station 3. Photograph was taken from a partially stabilized sand dune that once approached town on a southwest wind. It will move again, and the houses of Ferri^ Wyomin^/fy will be buried. Headquarters of the'^Little Man Minev as it became known Ms. p. after the discovery of a mummified Indian baby in a nearby cave. Rock Cavalry bam of Fort Washakie, now a garage for the still harbors a ghost that walks the wood floors in cavalry boots, according to some of the men that work there. but many buildings, like this officersV quarters built when the ^rmy took over, can be found reconstructed at Hs. !>■ the site kVjO/tJSt �5 , View of distant elk as seen Crystal Mountain. The pure diamond had a tendency to Iftagnify the ell^ image., walked up to bleed it. After shooting the elk, Bridger X^fhet dum elk was twenty=five miles awayt/ Central Pacific and Union Pacific tracks met at Promontory Hs. jx 14^ by negotiation, but ^rao/es ran past each other without joining for hundrec^ of miles. 'white Water Bert" lives alone amid the vast remains of a deserted mine and mill in Retailack, British Columbia. Frequent floods on Carpenter Creek wiped out the boardwalks Ms. f/ /S'd and dock-like streets of Bandon, B^. A the remainder. Fires took most of Fort Steel^J^ central attraction is [useum built to duplicate the original Wasa Hotel. hair and the hard ha^work well together, re­ constructing the 1887 Royal Canadian Mounted Police barracks, using only the tools of the time. Finished ortion of the post is in background. Broad axi for fitting. No chain saws were allowed, and all holes were drilled by hand without benefit of electricity. Fort Steeles water tower can be seen in the background. Oax �twenty-five miles to Fort Steele as an example of early utilization of ... n 1^^ water power in the mining effort. Oddly roofed outhouse in Fort Steele, B.^ C^is securely anchored by four posts. Old shops along Main Street are in the background. It was only a tiny sapling a few years after the child was buried. Now the tree occupies the complete grave site In k/ild Horse, BX. Owner of the Long Him Store in Lundbreck, Alberta, bemoaned Hs. /SV the loss of the two=story outhouse he purchased as a sales gimmick. He found it had been donated earlier to the Heritage Park in Calgary. In Lundbreck, Alberta, this gas station and store con­ stitute a'^hopping center. Wainwright Hotel of Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta, was said to have the old Lundbreck two=^story outhouse attached to-the rear. Ms. 1^=0 two-story outhouse, a two=door four^holer A A A over a four~door eight-holer, with a cupola on top. And A A eve^thing works! Everything functions in Heritage Park, including stern wheelers and steam engines. You can even d baked breast from the old bakery. fresh �Replica of the Hudson Bay Company'^ Rocky Moun- tain House has been built on the grounds of Heritage ^Park. Outside of the rebuilt Banff barracks of the Royal Canadian Mounted Policy ^'^^onstable from years ^st answers questions and spins a few yams. Don Timmerman rebuilt the original Windsor Hotel two= story outhouse quite faithfully. It stands in its original location, minus, of course, the hotel it originally served. Now it serves the public, and brings a few customers into the Long Him Store No. 7. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Two-Story Outhouse</em> Contents Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1987 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_TwoStoryOuthouse_Contents Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/589a2716c7bc5d47f96608f091057546.pdf 8f04325eb5e3d962b8aa3909e1489ba3 PDF Text Text Norm Weis INTRODUCTION . ------ —Several conversations were bouncing about the fac­ ulty lounge at a small college in ^entral Wyoming, When the physics professor mentioned having seen a ^WO-STORY OUTHOUSE, a sudden silence fell over the group. The phrase seemed to hang in the air as a dozen instructors tried to rationalize what seemed to be a conflict of terms. Finally someone weakened. (vbkay, I' 11 bite. How can an outhouse be two- storied^ Wo we r a all -ea’i oy sics prof told about (to e, uo ____ his visit to the old town of Dillon, Wybmin^,'Vexpecting punch line to crop out somewhere. was completely serious^. His explanation, however. �Norm Weis here wasn'^t much left in the town except a few tumbled-down log walls, an old safe, and the remains of a number of privies, some built on platforms above ground. elevated well I climbed the dozen or so steps on one that looked solid, and found what remained of an old two-holer. ^JWe bombarded the man with questions: Why was it elevated? Was there a door leading to the lower floor? it really two-^stori^? Was The professor fielded most of the questions, explaining that some outhouses in the town were merely elevated, but looked like the remains of honest= to=goodness two^story outhouses. Lrhat quieted the group down once more while everyone set to figuring just how such a structure might be designed. g-looLcf; , I wondered whabe the fate of some poor soul xdin CI occupy a seat on the main floor while another made use of the facilities above. we concluded, the two levels were offset. But the advantages of the two-story config­ uration remained a mystery. curiosity ■was? aroused, I determined to travel to Dillon at the first opportunity and have a look for myself. Little did I suspect that this would be the start of a twelve= year search fch.at -weiaid tak^ me to provinces. -2- states and four Canadian �TWO'STORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis (^ld-=timers at or near each site I visited always suggested new places to observe unusual outhouses. Many leads were false, perhaps to faulty memories, but sometimes I was led down the garden path by reports I now know to be 100 per^^ent fictitious. reports About one in ten accurate, leading me to grand examples of yes­ terday s feats of sanitary engineering. ^_Along with these reports came a multitude of stories^ y^ome of -fehcoo otori-os had'^little to do with out^^^^-^ door plumbing ^ut^were as unforgettable as the best double= deckeyj\ the engineer ran his train through a house; the quicksand ford located smack across the middle of the road to town; or the sign mounted on the top level of one two- story outhouse that read: VA^ything over eight pounds must be lowered by rope took many trips to cover all the leads. Upon returning fromzr7<?J^ of these trips, I would find more sugges­ tions in the mail, many of them for sites near the towns just visited. Eventually I found dozens of elevated outhouses, and a number of honest-to-goodness two-story outhouses, some of which were still in operation. There were outhouses on high trestles, outhouses hanging over river banks, creek straddlers leaners, open air-jobs, outhouse=bridge combos, and one fantastic du-thouce in Calgary, Alberta, -fe^^dasd a two-door four= holer on top of a four=door eight=holer, the whole thing �TWO STORY OUTHOUSE orm topped with a cupola, capped in turn with a Canadian flag blowing stiffly in the breeze. Qlow, after a dozen years, thousands of miles of travel, and one hundred rolls of film, here is the of my search for the two-story outhouse. �Norm Weis j ^-CHAPTER j *V--- ---- The small ghost town named Dillon lies miles west of Encampment, deep in the Sierra Madre IlLii.iirtZLlii-l^^r ^outh Central Wyoming. The black=topped road changed to gi^avel twenty miles short of Dillon, then degenerated to muddy ruts covered with occasional snowbanks. At ■9jji5OD feet above sea level, access to town is possible for just two months each year, and then only by means of four-wheel drive vehicles. A local sheepherder calls the last three mile stretch the Alternate routeand explains, Vit alternates between mud a foot deep and boulders a foot high.'^ It began to rain as I drove along the deserted main street. A search of the town^/s remains revealed only collapsed log walls, a few cril^ike structures that looked like the re­ mains of elevated outhouses, and an old rusty safe blown open by some hopeful treasumpunter. -5- �I Thoroughly soaked, and muddy to the knees, I headed back to the pickup. Before I could reach my_ -chiol^^ a jeep pulled up alongside. The driver asked if I needed help. I had to holler to be heard over the sound of the rain. \/^es, -•-^'^^ould you tell me if there is an outhouse around here^</ ^outh agape, the driver quxmlSy cranked up the window of the jeep and drove off. I slipped and bumped my way downhill. back to Encampment, hoping to gamer some information from the local old=timers. |_Vera Oldman, the leading historian of the town, had for some years undertaken the job of preserving feii^artifacts U13.4 of the mining era that^brought life to the towns in that area. She was a prime mover in the establishment of the local museum. 5h6 hoped to reconstruct one of Dillon’s two;story outhouses and perhaps restore one of the many towers that made up the --- ----- longest tramway in the worl<j^tfest ore miles from the mine just north of Dillon/^o the ore smelter in Encampment. I The literature already assembled at the small museum revealed a number of interesting characters, and offered an explanation or two concerning the two-story outhouses. Ed Haggarty found the blue rock in 1897 while herding sheep on the high slopes. copper meant money. He knew that blue meant copper, and His sheep herding days were over. -6- He �T^^S^ORY OljjTHOUSE Norm Weis took a partner named Ferris/and developed the deposit. two others bought into the operation. Later, The town that grew nearby was named Rudefeha/ wdtQi two letters from each manys name, Ferris and Haggarty bringing up the rear. When the four mine owners barred saloons from the town that blossomed around the copper mine, the drinking faction, which comprised the major faction, moved one mile south and established their own town^iajad-'named it Dillon. after the leading saloon man, Malachi Dillon. town T- no one ever called it ordinary. It was a strange At its peak it had several dozen log homes/ and eight buildings on Main Street, six of them saloons. Malachi's had a sign over the bai;^ V't^ree meals if you drink enough / The buildings along Main Street were fronted with \II7 . . boarc^walks elevated above the roacj^—' built^igh as a marevs back\/^o one ever shoveled snow off the streets -q- they just tramped the snow down under foot and hoped that it never came above the board walks. The heavy snows also brought about the ultimate refinement of one of marK/s most basic necessities. the outhouse. In Dillon, the elevated outhouse, and indeed the two-story outhouse came into its own. timers claim the outhouse began its spurt to new heights when a father of four got fed up with shoveling the path to the outhouse. It seems the thundermugs were -7- �Norm Weis filled from the previous night, and the emergency call was being sounded by two of the young ones. Dad was clearing the path through two feet of snow in a valiant race with the call of nature. For the third time month. Poona lost the race and suffered the abuses of an irate spouse faced with another foul mess. With the conviction of a man driven by anger, but possessed of a solution, the father went straight S to the local carpenter and gave explicit instructioi^; [ \J3uild me another outhouse, and put the damned thing on top of the snowbank! If we get another heavy snow. I’ll have you buil^ another one^v one knows how many he had built, but he most definitely started a new architectural trend in Dillon. By the next fall, nearly everyone had elevated his outhouse and had built ''^i^mmer stepsSome built log cribs 3jor(j^feet high and placed their outhouses on top. Most dug pits and built outhouses on enclosed stilts, but those few relied on the crib as the waste receptacle got a surprise the night of the first hard freeze. As the residue froze and expanded, the cribs split open with a resounding These structures remained solid until spring, when severe listing made their use hazardous. Many folk built new outhouses that matched heights with the second stoncj of their homes. The sanitary house was reached simply by going upstairs and walking out the connect-, �Norm Weis Some outhouses were twenty feet tall. There was no use made of the^d ower floorV^on most of these structures. The free-fall distance was nearlyf12 J feet. On a quiet day there was little privacy. A few outhouses reportedly utilized both floors. full-length dividing partition separated the two. A Given the choice, an old hand would prefer to use the upper floor. It 1 was quieter and di^er, tnough aromatic. Back in Encampment, the local madam solved the snow problem a different way. She built an enclosed walkway to the e privy to eliminate snow shoveling and to ^nsure the privacy of her customers. Business boomed. In 1901,Grant Jones, already saddled Lj a severe drinking problem, but possessed of a magic pen, started a newspaper called ’^he Dillon Doublejack.The first issue carried the following; To the most distinctive brotherhood in y\0 the world, the boys of the drill and the pan, whose members see the word welcome on fewer doormats, and know more about hospi­ tality, travel over more miles of land. and see fewer railroad tracks, eat more bacon and see fewer hogs, drink more milk. condensed, and see fewer cows, worship -9- �Tjtfo^S'/’ORY oy?THOUSE~^ Q^orm Weis nature more and see fewer churches, regard women with more chivalry and see fewer of them, judge men better, and wear fewer starched shirts, undergo more hardships and make fewer complaints, meet more dis­ appointments and retain more hopes than any class of men in the whole wide world ” to the brotherhood of quartz and placer I prospectors and miners I dedicate the _. DILLON DOUBLEJACK!**-^ Jones, who apparently never bought a meal/since his drinking always qualified him for the free eats, had a grand way with words. His wild stories of rare animals, which he called his Alco-Colic stories, were published in many nation­ ally circulated dailies. Half the country read of his Cooly Woo, that could dig itself to safety in solid rock, and the Bockaboar that had short legs on one side for traversing slopes at high speed, but often got dizzy from rotating ever clockwise. There was also the One'^Eyed Screaming Emu that could disappear by swallowing itself in one huge gulp. - j^ditor Jones had a great future, but he died suddenly, just six months after his arrival. It seems that he drank himself into a mild fit, and when he began to see strange creatures, his pals administered a'^ho^^of morphine. Morphine was available over the counter then, f -lQ-1 dosages �Norm Weis were a bit vague. He died, they say, from\^n advanced case of sociability, complicated by good intentionsXz He became one of the first to disprove his own oft-made statement: '^In Dillon there are no morgues, no graveyards, and no dead visited Encampment a number of times, checking the progress of the museum and the reconstruction of the two^^story outhouse. Eventually both reached completion. On thdse occasions when weather permitted, I would travel o Dillon, past the old deserted towns of Rambler, Copperton and Battle. Placed almost equidistant Q coU'lg i>^ “thgfrom these towns, a bronze plaque claims that^Thomas Edison got the idea of using a carbon filament in his as yet un­ successful light bul^^^^^ilo-fiching—in the arc-a. ( I searched Dillon several times. Nothing in the bu-t', way of outhouses remained worthy of a photography^ /ne mile north, the remains of the Ferris-Haggarty Mine were quite spectacular. The main structure still stood astraddle the shaft. At its foundation flowed a small stream, tumbling over the same blue rock that signaled "l^^aggarty’s original discovery. Haggarty and his partners did well by selling the operation for million in 1902. In 1908, the price of copper dropped and the operation ceased. -11- Five �Norm Weis thousand people left the area. Now you would have trouble rounding up five folk in the deserted towns sprinkled about the mine. ^ncampment survived and became a quaint village in the foothills, populated by ranchers, a few storekeepers, and nature lovers escaping the city. Part of its charm IS its slow acceptance of the niceties of modern civiliza- tion. Each time I entered Encampment, I w. sign in front of the gas station; ^Indoor Toilet.v It -Hzie seemed to proper I On my last visit to Encampment I was directed to the tiny cabin of an old duffer who had /recently/returned^ from a visit to old folksv home^ IfeTived a frugal life, mainly with the help of friends and neighbors. He filled in many of the missing details, and added a new chap- ter to the art- of growing old. ^im was leading a happy life, living in his little cabin. sponging a bit here, making a buck there, when we 11'= meaning folk decided he belonged in old folks’ home a few miles fe^^Sl^^north. They left Jim no choice he was packed (or his own good?'/' Jim found his up and moved new home quite unsatisfactory, but he had a plan to rectify the problem. He invested his /osrf:. (I 1 and got the entire population of -tils old- fol4^^ home roaring dtunk. cabin'^. They kicked him out, afld he returned to his little broke, hungover and happy. -12- �Norm Weis " SaBjword got around the college, the town, and eventually the state, that some strange character at the college was looking for two=istory outhouses and other odd structures, which many residents interpreted to mean nog ranchesranch,seemed, was a term given to any house of ill fame^ whorehouse, that is^ tlwrt wac located near a military installation. / As to why they were called ranches, ”^^ere were several explanation^?)--' pn^suchsta 1^ishnent was operated by a man named ^Hog^**aBsd'''since many of these houses specialized in good food, as well as close company, perhaps the name came from the offering of pork on the ment^ most likely, the name came from the physical makeup of the usual crib ladies. L Whatever the background of the term, my curiosity was again piqued, and I^includeji-^a few hog ranches in my alotnc cj rftn next tour of the area^ Thio tgip would iuulLid'e forts, -hog ranches^ an old mining town or two, and any other sight-S that might have an outstanding outhouse or unusual story. I stopped at Horse Shoe Springs a few miles south of Glendo, Wyoming, mainly because it was on my route. was once the home of Bad Man Slade, who at the age of began his evil career by killing a man with a rock. -13- His It �TI)lrO=sfoRY orm Weis father promptly sent him West from his home in Illinois, but he continued with the killing habit, finally reaching the lower end of a tai^t rope in Montana. [_The site of the old stage station is presently azouvod occupied by the Lancaster Ranch. The owners showed me about the—proudly pointing out the bullet=proo:^triple =■ walled structure of the ranch house that replaced the stage station. They told me of the Indian fight that occurred there in 1868. Frequently referred to as the ^*^loody Trail Massacre, it is one of the best documented fights involving Chief Crazy Horse. It was,one of the very few times that Indians attacked at night and in midwinter. (captain Smith and four troopers were at the old station/ whenQGT) Indians, led by Chief Crazy Horse, accosted them. The Indians soon retired behind a butte yards away Two scouts sent out by the ^aptain were promptly chased back. Portholes were opened, the door barred, and the fight was on. Two Indians were killed. ^In mid^morning, two other troopers, chased by Indians, managed managed to break through and arrive at the 2ta tation. It was now seven against sixty-five. The men in the Station had nothing to drink but Red Jacket Bitters, which did much for mora]^ but little to improve accuracy with a rifle. Two men were sent out to get - 14- �T^=S/ORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis water, but quickly returned with a report that the Indians had gathered at the well. I lo'.oo , (At fe«a-jp.g. , the Indians set fire to the building, 1O/Ci 1/1 C| " causing the troopers to crawl through the (l^=foot tunnel that led to a sod dugout, filling/the tunnej/i^behind them. The ^tation burned, and while the Indians celebrated, the men dug out and escaped with their belongings, including gallon keg of whiskey. ^J^e Indians found the troopers the next morning a few miles south, on the trail to Fort Laramie. One trooper took an arrow in the eye, but promptly yanked it out, eye and all, and went on fighting. Another soldier was hit above the eye, loosening a flap he had to hold up with one hand. He was killed as the group ran for better cover. Another trooper was killed/^nd mutilated. The troopers were now down to five men, three of them wounded. �Norm Weis, —One badly wounded man had to be left behind as the group took new positions. He committed suicide. It was now four troopers against forty Indians. rounds of ammunition left called for talks. the troopers Chief Crazy Horse, who spoke English, was willing, and promptly commended the men for their valiant fight. '^ou four very brave we kill only three of you.^ This prompted an attempt to barter whiskey for lives, and both sides agreed to walk back to the whiskey cache. ) C^he whis^ was turned over, with the tap open and the suggestion that the Indians take it back to their camp and drink it there. Indians. There was no stopping the They set to drinking right thpny^*^ -thow^ and the troopers took off down a ravine. A few shots were fired at them, but pursuit was forgone lest a turn at the keg be lost. The four troopers eventually got to Fort Laramie and safety. They had lost all their belongings, but others had lost more. ^ort Laramie, like most of the forts in the West, had no stockade. This fact contributed to the port’s most embarrassing moment during the summer of 1864. For three days a large detachment had been scouting the area for Indians, splitting into Sitpa/f for sign. groups to search They met back at the /ort, unsaddle<^bh&-ir horocc and adjourned to the barracks while the horses rolled on the �T^O=S^ORY OJ^THOUSE Norm Weis Thirty Indians suddenly materialized and ex /•rd chased off the horses! It took an hour for soldiers to parade ground. begin their fruitless pursuit. The Indians, constantly changing horses, had little trouble outdistancing the troopers, who were stuck with one horse Apiece. [Today, much of the Fort rsrefurbished to show ^xacrtXy the way it was. One can almost see the soldiers on parade, the cheers and horse^play on pa^^ay, or imagine Jim Bridger outside the Sutjers Store smashing lice in the seams of his clothing, using two flat rocks, while regaling off=duty soldiers with tall stories. ^^ohn Hunton, a prominent hay rancher in the late 1800’s, was a friend to many of the famous men and women that visited the Fort Laramie are^ Men like Hi Kelly, Bat Gamier, Heck Reel, Wild Bill HickroeW, Portugee Phillips, Jim Bridger, Slippery Sam Slaymaker, Calamity Jane, and the famous stage driver, Thomas C. Todd, champion drinker who claimecK^^'^ / Hunton’s diairy, released some years after his demise, carried a Jiumber of fascinating entries. One iiHiji'ntii the solution to a -^^i^OQ^robbery; Tom Wilson's money recovered from Pat Corbliss after hanging him a little. —\ Nice Day. �Norm Weis As to Calamity Jane; ^er achievements have been very greatly magnified by every writer I have ever read, for she was among the commonest of her class. She seldom ever carried a rifle when riding horseback from place to place, and I do not think I ever saw her with both rifle and pistol. Her one redeeming trait was that she seldom spoke of what she had done or could do with gun and pi '*! first saw her in about My ranch was a general road ranch and place 1875. of entertainment for the traveling public Jane often stopped at my place, especially 1876, 77, 78. She worked often at hog ranches at Fort Fetterman and Fort Laramie until General CrookX*^ army organized in May when she and three other women of same character were smuggled out with the command and remained with it until found out and ordered back\/"^r Later in his diary. Hunton states that Calamity Jane worked as one of the girls at a house of ill fame, and that \7she wasn’t one of the better ones.'^ , [ And about another famous* character -^whose name Hunton spelled his own way: -18- �Norm Weis I will now refer to J I knew fairly well in 1874 and late in the year 1875...,During that time I do not think he knew VXlalamity Jan^^ or had ever seen her....X In less than a month I heard of Biliks death. He was assas- inated at Deadwood by a stage drive3^ Jack McCaul, who was lynched for the deed, by a mob reputedly led by Calamity, but at that time Calamity was in the hands of the Militairy authorities ?^Crooks Army)^.' As to John Hunton^s expertise at judging women, he left no question that he had plenty of experience. For many years before his demise, he lived with a woman and kept secret from his wife. He had no hesitation to tell all about the second woman in his diary. Wyoming had two famous hog ranches, on^just north of Fort Fetterman near DouglasS\-feCTsitig fon’’the~Bozeman"Ro^the other, called **Three Mile' west of Fort Laramie on the Cheyenne-Deadwood Stage Road. Since liquor and loose women were barred from the military forts, these houses had to exist outside the(^^ile radius of prohibition imposed by the y6miy. The girls were referred to as painted ladies, fallen women, crib women, tenderloin ladies, and generally were the lowest of the lot. The food and booze were good, and change was often given in brass tokens good for a -19- �Norm Weis at the bar, or for service in one of the small rooms or cribs. ion-Xwith houses of ill fame reportedly came from the^habityrai 1 road~~men^hwi of leaving their lanterns outside the door. around the hog ranches That term was seldom used since the nearest railroad was ’3® '' miles south. IS now a respectable ranch. first visited the site, the new owner (?£■ th When I ±i had just discovered the questionable histoiry of his aquisition. He had recently tom up the floor boards of the saloon and crib areas the old grout building that made up the original hog He found a few coins, some tokens, and evidence that -t-InCct' someone had gone over the same ground earlier. It seems^at ranch. least two people figured that change tends to fall out of pockets easily when the clothing deviates from the vertical. -20- �man on the telephone was positive, and the fact that he had made a toll call lent considerable credence to his story. have found a perfect two^story outhouse for you. left immediately, stopping by his office in Douglas, Wyoming, to obtain directions. He seemed a bit less sure of himself after our discussion revealed that his ’^ind had only one door. an hour later, and(13 miles south, I located the structure, which turned out to be unusual in that it was indeed very tall, perhaps fifteen feet. A single door opened to a roomy space, only partially occupied by the necessary facilities. The upper portion was composed of slatted vents, making this the sweetest smelling privy it had been my privilege to visit. Those living nearby explained that the building was once the air vent for a underground potato storage area. -21- One gentleman was sorry �brm Weis that I had not found an honest two story privy, and suggested I look into the old deserted town of Kirwin, across the state. where he personally had seen the real thing. ^^irwin was another false lead, but as always, something interesting happened on the way to the site. sign at the turnoff to a ranch a few miles from the town site read; I ^**N0 HUNTING NO FISHING NO NOTHING DOl^ ASK**^ L- no I drove in and asked. ing The rancher got a kick out of my ask­ said he had met a lot of fine but stubborn people be- cause of that sign. [on an earlier trip, I had noted a sign of a different nature that was even more effective; Hunters, Fishermen And Trespassers Welcome $200 Per Day Tre^p^ss Fee^ Pay At Hdqtrs. 2 mi East."** The welcome sign wasn'^t out at Kirwin either. First there was a locked gate on a public road, which upon close inspection revealed a big padlock on a heavy chain, but with one open link hidden behind the gate^^ost. A sneaky way to discourage travel on the road, even though it led to a forest ^ervice campground, as well as the deserted town site of Kirwin. 7-22- �I entered and drove ahead only to be stopped by a man with a gun. I asked entrance " he denied same, explaining he was hired by a mining company. I claimed public road, he chuckled. I got out a six=pack of beer. He put away the gun. Half an hour later, I drove on up to Kirwin, waving back at my new friend who made me promise to stop by on the way out. ^orty miles west of Meeteetse in ^est ^entral tityoming, Kirwin sits in a narrow valley, 9200 feet above sea level, surrounded by steep slopes leading to the high It was beautiful -- almost like a H Old mining equipment, long idle, lay peaks of the Absarokas. bit of Switzerland. scattered about, covered with a deep layer of red dust, no longer capable of probing the earth for copper and molybdenum. Mine shafts penetrated the ground in a dozen places. A barrel-type hoist bucket rested on the ground next to the Wolf Mine. A large building nearby had to have been a board- in^^house. Upstream on the north bank of the tumbling stream stood the tall remains of the Tumlum Tumalum^ Mine. It I seemed to be just the right situation for a tall privy or two — H high altitude, steep slopes, and most likely subject to heavy winter snow accumulations. There were no doubt a few tall ones in town at one time, but none remained -- not even short H one s. In 1935, long after the mines had shut down, Amelia Earhart filed claim on a beautiful high bench above the �OjShOuS Txam'^a^'lum Mine. Norm Weis She ordered a cabin built shortly before one of her long ever'ocoqr flights. Work on the cabin was suspended when word arrived that Amelia was missing over the Pacific. ( Walls 'three, logs high, a door jambzand a small wooden airplane on a pole^propeller spinning in the wind, ■ stand as a small tribute. 0 tv N ^Bonnevilie, and a number of other small nearly deserted towns lay on my route home. None of the settlements had sewer systems, and were prime prospects for tall privies. /a sign on the main highway points north to Bonne­ ville. It’s an official highway sign,(^feet byfeet, big enough to cause one to believe that indeed town can be reached via the gravel road that lies adjacent. I had driven north a scant three miles when I was confronted with an oldfashioned ford. It was perhapfeet to the far side where the road took up again and became the main street of Bonneville. In the center of the broad sandy expanse was a small creek. perhaps an inch or two deep and twenty feet across. I was about to drive across when I noticed several faces pressed to the window of the railroad station across the creek. When two fellows ran outside the building to watch, I chickened out and walked over to the railroad bridge and picked my way across the ties. 24- �Railroad, waiting for the train to arrive in order to relieve ( On . J the on baaiff^cre^^I came along just in time to offer a bit of entertainment. /jhe ford, I was told, was pure quicksand. They explained that it was used only in the winter when the creek was frozen. The alternate route to town from the highway to the west was used at all other times. ^^According to one of the crew, several old cars lie deep within the quicksand. One case, he said, was spectacular. Some years ago, in early spring, the driver of a late model car got a run for it and almost made it across. He was stuck up to the running boards but was able to scramble to solid ground and hike to the nearest'^il^ig^town for help. A few hours later, after the car had sunk to the roof, a caterpillar tractor rumbled up, and a cable was dug down to the windows. The *^^t”'''^ulled and pulled, and finally the car slowly re­ sponded but only the body of the car came free, leaving the frame and wheels to join the ever-growing crop of relics deep beneath treacherous Bad Water Creek. I^n 1919, a trestle upstream washed out and spilled a freight train into the creek. to sink out of sight. Half the train threatened It took weeks to rebuild the trestle and recover the engine and some of the cars. -25- The caboose �Norm Weis parts of some flat cars washed downstream to sink into quicksand. ^^ut the most spectacular event to hit Bonneville the big explosion that blasted the little town in 1921. A truck driver, delivering 750 quarts of nitroglycerin to -R II the Birdseye Mine, hit a ditch/ and.KA-BLOOOEEE, -- blew a f\ H hole in the ground big enough to bury a house. The biggest piece left of the truck was the armature from the generator. Most of the houses of the town were built stoutly of used ties spiked together, and consequently weathered the blast with only a loss of window panes. Those houses still stand. some s-tir±~l occupied as vacation homes. The windows in town blew out a second time when a miner walked into the local bar with a stick of dynamite jammed in his hip pocket. A two-foot fuse extended from one Someone lit it! Cfii (3i t\i Qpst Cabin was a few miles east. There might be a tall outhouse, or at least a tall story there. latter ~ a tall story It was the but true, of course. (_l^st Cabin, like Bonneville, is located on Bad Water Creek, and the only store in town, Oki^ Store, sits in the middle of town. According to Mary Helen Hendry, a ^26- �local ^tyoming historian, a gang of bullies blew into town one day, and one of them promptly proceeded to intimidate store proprietor, Okie. The roughie pulled a gun, shot into the ceiling and shoutecj^J) a bad man from Stinking Creek. Fast thinking Okie snatched up a rifle and replied^^^ ^^Well, the stinking man from~Bad Water Creek^^ and backed the bad n^n out at gun point. ——CiTy r^me weeks later I set out for Dale City, Wyoming, where reliable information led me to believe a buthouse^sed to stand. twoc-story Dale City sounded like a good bet. since all the structures in town were said to be built of rock. Outhouses and jails are both strong/ and tend to outlast larger buildings. My chances looked good! (rhe jail stood, but the outhouse either never existed, or had been dismantled in order to improve some other structure. But as usual a memorable story emerged to fill the void. A few miles to the northeast, the Union Pacific, in 1938, built a trestle across a deep ravine. Indeed, the construction of Dale City was a result of the work crew^^ extended residence while constructing the 200-foot^^high. 650=="foot-?lon2 masterpiece. It was the tallest and largest ioi<i I on the but it was doomed to cause trouble. No allow- -27- �Norm Weis ance had been made for the gale force winds that plague that part of the country, particularly at the change of seasons. [_Soon the trestle joints loosened, making passage dangerous. A dozen long guy wires designed to eliminate the sway were bolted to the tracks, extending to deeply embedded anchors. In one season, the wires were stretched, and the sway was back. The crews of trains were so frighten­ ed of the trestle, that they made it a practice to stop short. pile out, and flip a coin to see who walked across alone. Then the engineer would set the throttle on dead -^low, and the crew would watch the train cross the trestle "^appeLLa. ” After the train was caught and stopped, the rest of the crew would walk across resume the trip. Crews of passenger trains had to gut. it out in order to foster '’^p^senger confi­ dence. On the way home from that trip, I took a back road, hoping to stumble across a truly unusual outhouse. As if I had willed it, a tall structure appeared ahead/ next to an old deserted house. It was twenty feet tall, had a door below and a door on top, accessed by a built-in ladder. heart leaped and I grabbed for the cameras. I shot two rolls of film of the exterior, then opened the lower door. was empty except for a big rusty pipe running from floor to ceiling. The floor was covered with sawdust, several feet deep in the comers. -28- �Norm Weis (jhe upper door opened to reveal a large insulated metal tank. The pieces began to fit together. elevated water supply and ice house combination. This was an Water in the top and ice below offered ice cold water on tap all SLimmer long. ^_W^t a corns'^own. In all my travels about the state, I had found remains of just one tall privy, the one in Dillon. The reconstruction of the privy was under way, ■but the fact was I had searched most of my home state and photographed not one two=story outhouse. / It was time to branch out. be more productive. -29- Perhaps Montana would �Ttfo-SfORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis » ! -•• -"1 , ----- I TaPDinE' Occasionally the obvious seems to elude a person, especially when he gets deeply involved in a subject -- sort of like failing feo se^xhe trees for the forest. It finally became evident to me that tall outhouses were to be found at northern latitudes/^r high altitudes. The mountain state of Montana should therefore be a prime source for two^story outhouses. (^knew there were tall outhouses of a sort in Virginia City, Montana. I had photographed a few of them some years be­ fore, and had taken somewhat suspicious note of the reconstructed tall outhouse in nearby Nevada City. ^oth towns deserved a second look, and this time I would not be distracted by the usual sights -- old mines, saloons, dredges, and the like. �O^iTHOUSE^Z (Norm Weis I laid out a tjour of Montana^^^tarting just north of Yellowstone Park at the old mining town of Jardine,* working west to Virginia City* then north, following the Rocky Mountains* then east*^then (againJnortt^ to the Little Rockies near the Canadian border. As leads developed, I could plan a zig^ zag return to Wyoming. It looked like a three week trip of about miles. 11 packed sleeping bag, cookstove, food and cameras^ Ced figuring on camping out a lot, staying at a motel every four or five days to maintain a taste for civilization, and deCI'inc . velo^'^a few rolls of film as proof of my cameraVs integrity. I Jardine was a quiet place when I tscd visited a few years before, but now had been during the mining days. was almost as busy a€ it The nearby slopes were vJa5 beii^ groomed as ski runs, construction of several lifts ^Mse underway, and new cabins and lodges were sprouting up all over the place. The suspiciously tall thin structures viewec/ on an earlier trip seemed to have vanished. look. There would be no second The old outhouse behind the mill was still intact, and was still only one story high. It was, however, an outstanding structure, well engineered for its purpose. It looked from the outside to be about one outhouse deep and four wide. The inside was bare except for two long poles. You could walk the length of the outhouse on the narrow floor, and take your �Norm Weis ease an37where on the lower of the two horizontal poles, then I lean your back against the upper pole -- sort of a two-point H suspension, mid^thigh and mid^^back. No doubt it was designed for minimal comfort to discourage loafers. polished by the hundreds mill workers The logs were well labored at the site from 1917 to 1948. Jardine might have been a disappointment, but an incident that occurred on the road to Virginia City brought my sense of humor back to normal. [j-t was a long straight stretch of highway, and far ahead I noticed a man walking along the center line. drove closer, I could see he was staggering. worsened as I coasted toward him. As I His stagger I came to a stop as he spun around a full 360^and collapsed dead in the middle of the black I had a strong urge to hop out and lend a hand, but some- top. His collapse was too perfect -- just like n the kind John Wayne did as a green actor, and kids everywhere thing looked fishy. imitated for the next twenty years. I held my place behind the wheel and studied the man. His clothes were tattered and dirty. creased with wrinkles. His face was tanned and He looked like a circus clown without As I watched, an eyelid flickered, and in the instant. makeup. I could see his eye was trained on me quite precisely. • J • That ' did it -- I backed up and drove around him, pulling o£ to the �Norm Weis -side of the road a few hundred yards beyond. (The noise of an approaching car brought about a most spectacular recovery. The bum was instantly on his feet, wob­ bling along the center line, cocking a careful but fleeting eye on the approaching car, letting the stagger increase to another full turn, ending with complete collapse on the center line. ^^his man was quite an actor, and it turned out, a talented panhandler. When offered assistance, he would slowly recover, stagger a bit, refuse a ride, but put the bite on for a bit of the green stuff. / I watched him operate for nearly an hour. He batted a bit over 500, netting folding money from each successful ploy, and recovering instantly from each failure. [When he noticed that I was watching, he put on an even better show. He was up to a three-turn dying spiral, going for an Oscar when I finally left the scene, -n-,. K the KJ --- [Virginia City was much same as I had remembered it; quite commercialized, but thoroughly fascinating and essen­ tially genuine. Although most of the buildings in town were burned as firewood in the postfboom years, a rich core of buildings remain on the dozen or so square blocks that make up the business district of this town that once claimed more than -WrOOO citizens. �Tjfcs^^ORY Ol^THOUSE Norm Weis The site would have remained pristine prairie had not Bill Fairweather and six friends camped at the head of the gulch a few hundred yards to the south. When Bill unlimbered his gold pan and washed a load of gravel, he uncovered the richest placer deposit in the world, and started a gold rush that would eventually move 4OO million in gold from the ground into the miners’ pockets. The discovery was in 1863, and within a year the gulch was named Wlder,^and a town called Virginia c( City exploded into existence at a rate of almost per week! —-- - , , buildings �/JtV/Q DA : W;/<. G/TV Aa\JI> ]_In 1864 Montana Terri-^^djr was established, with One yearyZater, Virginia City Bannack declared as its capital took over as capital by virtue of its overwhelming population, only to lose it to Helena in 1875. The boom years of 1863 to 1868 brought about some strange incidents involving the towns of Virginia City, its suburb to the west called Nevada City, and its rival, Bannack, just eighty miles west. The road connecting these towns became the playground for a bunch of dry land pirates robbed, plundered and murdered. held up, From June to December of 1863, the gang robbed and killed more than 190 men. When a particularly brutal and bloody murder was committed just prior to Christmas, the citizens rose up in anger and organized a vigilante committee of ^5^. Within six weeks, twenty men had been hanged. Frank Parish, George Lane, Haze Lyons, Jack Gallagher, Boon Helm, yi a) and Club-Foot George Lane stretched te±tB±x ropes from the exposed �17^0= SjZoRY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis beams of a half:ifinished building in Virginia City. A club­ footed man should have known he would be recognized, mask or no mask. If this begins to sound like a silent movie plot, then hang tight -- it gets better. ( The ^heriff of Bannack, elected in spite of his recent prison record at San Quentin, offered to cooperate fully with the 2^gilantes. But on the sly, he met with his cronies and planned the very robberies the^igilantes were sworn to stop. The gang held secret meetings over the livery in Vir­ ginia City, in the roadhouse later to be called^^llobber^ Roost,\/just west of Nevada City, and of course in the ^herifJ^s office in Bannack. The ^heriff, it seems, robbed the public at night/^nd chased after himself during the day. [ The double life of Sheriff Henry Plummer was re­ vealed when a robbery victim spotted scars on the back of one of the robbeiX>^ hands. Foolishly, the robber^sheriff had re­ moved his glove in order to unlock a strong box. The alert ob­ server later saw those same scars on a hand attached to Sheriff Plummer. They hanged Plummer and his two deputies in Bannack. ^Llwo other suspected gang members, Captain Jack Slade and John)\ythe HatJ^ Dolan, were hanged at Nevada City. Slade was notorious as the winner of a number of Xj^air fights,v one of which involved shooting with a gun hidden under his coat. Slade was apprehended for being drunk and disorderly, �TWO=StORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis and apparently hanged as a public service. Both Slade and Dolan asked for clemency, their excuse being that they were drunk at the time of the crime. Some folk in the crowd suggested that they each be given a few drinks so they could drunk, all in the interests of justice. be / The Chinese moved into Virginia City when the original placer miners moved out. At one time, six^^ompanie^v 5’(x I of Chinese, about men, worked the diggings near town. A serious rift came about over boundary lines, and the six com- panies split into two factions. The argument escalated to tZiACi fight Sy. xA all=out war. They fought for two days /\ 4 and shot up all their ammunition without killing a soul on either side. they resorted to hand^tosfhand fighting with A A pick and shovel, two men were fatally injured. Eleven Chinese were tried for the killings. positive identification. Chinese looked alike. All were released for lack of White witnesses claimed all the Chinese witnesses, with great wisdom, agreed/ filled with a strong sense of history, I drove to Ir the Cornucopia Mine fei»t overlook^ Virginia City. I could glass the buildings in town. From there I spotted the old brewery, the saloon, the livery, and Sauerbuer’s Smithy, where -36- j �T)6Ss^0RY OlJrTHOUSE Norm Weis oxen were slinged and trussed for shoeing. And back there, behind the di^^oods store, and also behind the old Richard Cook residence, were two tall outhouses! ^__Behind Hanna and Mary McGoveriii4 Dry Goods =(toys a speciality?- was a single-seat outhouse ■thab=£a2e more than C0CL3 /V fifteen feet in the aiy^^wxfeh its floor^seven feet above ground level, the loftiness of the structure made necessary by the downward slope of the ground at the rear of the store. A small deck led from the store'^s rear entrance to the door of the outhouse -- almost an inside outhouse. /I The Richard Cook residence was built on ground that was comparatively level. The outhouse that looked tall from afar was actually floored a modest four feet above ground -M hardly worthy of a photograph. [^J^sauntered about town, enjoying authentic items, ignoring the commercial. Finally I entered the Bale of Hay Saloon and had a drink for old time^sake, then stepped out^ side and put the spurs to my trusty steed. had a coke and climbed into my pickup.^ Nevada City was just a mile and a half to the west of Virginia City. I had to stop and see how the reconstructed two-story outhouse had fared. The first time I visited the site, I was amazed to see that the outhouse was not a working, functioning relief -37- ■ft'O �T^O=S^ORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis -y station, although it certainly looked like it was us'^ble. / had fooled a number of tourists. It Instead of being built with a free=fall chute from upper seat to the pit below, it simply ! had an enclosed bench with a cut out seat. And of course the tourists used it. ;&iid jifter one season it was full. [rhe second time I visited the site, they had j placed a pot under the seat. Of course the pot would have to be emptied frequently. ^Ihis was my third visit, and this time the upper door was boarded shut. There is a lesson there somewhere, having to do with reconstructing faithfully or not reconstruct­ ing at all. [jMost of the items in Nevada City were either moved in or recently built, not so much as an historical effort, but more as a matter of free enterprise. The old hotel in Nevada City was originally the Salisbury Stage Station, once lo­ cated near Ruby, Montana. It is worth a look, but it would have been better i:^had stayed in Ruby. ^Fifteen miles west of Nevada City on the south side of a road set back in a cozy grove of trees, is the marvelous old roadhouse once called'C^aley^s Place.\/ Pete Paly ^Daley)^ built it and ran the establishment as a stopping place for travelers on the Virginia City Bannack road. C-38- For several �T^0=st0RY O0THOUSE Norm Weis months he offered bed and meals plus entertainment. Rooms on J [3icJ the first floor were labeled ^achus^and Lady Luck^^dining and gambling^, and the second floor was termed the V^terps?I chore -- Ardent Swains and Seductive SirensJ^T^entertainment M areas. (^V^ithin six months the roadhouse became one of the secret hideouts for the Plummer gang, and that stretch of road east and west became the bloodiest, most dangerous(^^8^)^miles in the territory. Later, Pete Daly's Tavern became known as **i^bbers'^ Roost e^trlferZ If you look closely you will see the symbol(5 scratched in the logs of the building. Perhaps it was a code or a password, but like ZorroV/s always shoved up after the Vigilantes caught up with and dispatched an outlaw or two. That same symbol appeared in other towns at other times, per­ haps as a warning to local crooks that the ^igilantes were watching. frhe town of Bannack is now a ^tate j/ark and a Ration­ al Ristoric landmark. Among the buildings now preserved are Hs I two old jails, Masonic Mall built in 1874, a school that dates from 1871, and a classic frame church constructed in 1879 But the crowning glory is the beautiful brick building known as the Meade Hotel. Built with class, and intended to last, it cg-' sported two stories, each with ceilings, a spiral stair£I«— case six feet wide, double-decker porticos and vaulted windows at the front. �T^S'/’ORY Oj^THOUSE Norm Weis (At the south edge of town, a five=ton mill was still in operation. Fiv^ton^ means it can crush five tons of ore each hour. They were extracting concentrated ores of silver, lead and zinc, with a few traces of gold. The mill is a bit of an antique, but it runs and pays a profit. It^ a frugal operation, and no money has been wasted on paint. Off to the side are two outhouses, and in keeping with the operatoi\ys economic policy, only one has a sign on it, and that sign read^^IMMIN J_Gold was found on nearby Grasshopper Creek in 1862, one year before the Virginia City strike. Bannack'^ boom was less spectacular, but longer lasting than its rival to the east. -tt^OULSgtndj It grew to a population of than by 1863, and spurted to more afewyears later when the hand dug ditches brought badly needed water to the local placers. ^ny diligent ghost town buff is bound to note that the last buildings to collapse and disappear are the jails and outhouses, no doubt because they are both strong. Although the latter may be strong in more than one sense, it remains a fact that the shorter the dimensions, the stouter the structure, [ Bannack has two jails, both Hwre years old. One, the smallest and oldest, has two tiny barred windows. -40- Th �Norm Weis larger jail has a guard room and two cells. One cell is dark, iloree Lu the other has a 3 foot picture window barred with straight­ ened wagon wheel rims bolted to the logs. The nuts are on the inside, but much to a prisoner’s disappointment, the bolts are peened over. The doors are doubly layered and three inches thick. I V'ben Sheriff Plummer and his two crooked deputies. 'C'otv* Buck Stinson^and ,Ned Ray., were some time in their own jail. Igl- History is a bit unclear at this point, but it is probable that the three crooks were spared the night in jail and were hustled immediately to the gallows at the edge of town. When the sheriff's turn arrived, he begged for his life, but finally settled for one last request, '^^ive me a good drop,'^ said Sheriff Henry Plummer, and the Vigilantes obliged. And the number 3-7-77 mysteriously appeared on several buildings in town. ^olonel Charles A. Broadwater made his first fortune in Bannack in 1862. Later, he invested in other profitable ventures, including mines, stocks and short line railroads. / The Volonel had a dream, and in 1888 he had more --- "fli6u5Q.OCl than the $500W®) it would take to make that dream a fact. He envisioned a large sprawling two=story hotel, a largo covered -41- �ro-STORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis and a placid lake with boats floating serenely about. It would be a spa the size of a small city, and people from all over the country, perhaps the world, would vacation at ”Broadwater,**^4H / (^Jlis business advisers told him that the population in the area could not possibly support the endeavor. It would be a loser unless the J^olonel could bring a railroad into Helena, Montana. That should be easy, the /olonel figured, for he was a railroad man. ^JTbe complex was finished in 1899, complete with a two-story, two-block long hotel with two tall turrets, and hundreds of rooms. The entire length was fronted with second story balconies. The trim was oak, and the carpets were velvet plush. fatatorium was 100 300 feet, with circular win­ dows and^Moorish exterior, accessed through a vaulted doorway bracketed by two tall towers, each one topped with a thirty=xfoot A c I lightning rod. Inside, two waterfalls tumbled over rocky pre^ b ^ipices, one offering pure cold water, the other, warm mineral \ water. Steam radiators lined the sides, and potted plants gave atmosphere. Johnny Weismuller learned to swim in that pool, and his later fame would add to BroadwaterVs name, /olonel saw his dream completed, right down to the lake, the He died at the -42- �Norm Weis of fifty-two of influenza, three years af ter'\7America' s most famous health resor6^was completed. The trailt^ovd ■bb -ths s were kind^ for the spa caliea Ca(c}k}C.I Toadwater'^was to suffer many ills in the years that followed. ^_Floods wiped out the lake, the boats, and the trolley in 1925, and an earthquake caused severe damage to the ^otel and plunge in 1935. The plunge was tom down in 1946. { The undamaged portion of the hotel served as a gambling casino for a tim^ ^ther^after lying vacant for a number of years, it was auctioned off piece by piece, a window here, a cupola there, and an entire porch somewhere else. Remnants of its majesty now can be found sprinkled about the country as conversation pieces, playground structures, or front lawn gazebos. �Tlfo=S'^ORY OljjTHOUSE| ' Norm Weis I N G L~l IThe ^^seum at Helena, Montana was rich with in­ formation concerning old towns and deserted mining camps. The ^seum staff helped me make a list of those places that might have heavy snowfall and be candidates for two-story An old-timer overheard our conversation and outhouses. volunteered that I should check on Castle and Ashland. I added them to my list and revised the balance of my tour of the ^tate. (_My loop to the north of Helena was fruitless. I did, however, stumble upon an interesting example of the local humor. was under construction that would ^rtake a straight line where the old road took an curve �T^-sfoRY Ol/fTHOUSE^^ around a Norm Weis foot=high rocky promontory. The new grade aimed the middle of the promontory. Obviously a deep cut would be required. Some waj no mountain climbing experienc^had painted a broad dashed line from ground to top, then laboriously printed along side, the word \76uT ON DOTTED LINE.V stopped to photograph the scene, but found the light was wrong. My plan to take a shot on the way back was somehow foiled. I have often kicked myself for not camping on :^e spot and taking a photo in morning light. [ The route to Castle in West Central Montana took me through the nearly deserted town of Ringling. The name itself was enough to cause me to stop and inquire, but the two marvelous old churches had me scrambling for the cameras. Of the dozen or so ramshackle buildings in town, only two showed any sign of life the post office and the bar. The door to the bar was fully screened, but was six inches too short, leaving a wide gap at the top. of door and frame as I entered. I studied the mismatch The bartender looked up and said,\ykeeps the dogs and cats outSl^^ was his only customer, which made conversation easy. He knew a lot about the town and told me where to find old-timers thirt could fill in any gaps. �OpTHOUSE Norm Wei When the town moved a few miles to intercept the Milwaukee Railroad, it was called Dorsey.’’"^n 1900, when Mr. I 'thoa-S^LndJ ' Ringling, of circus fame, bougTrfSt^pOO ac res nearby / and hinted that he might make the town his headquarters, the town folk fell in line and renamed the place ^^Ringling. The population in town and the immediate vicinity at that time toppedsouls, many of them homesteaders from Iowa. [_^parently no one realized that a circus was on the road all summer, and would most logically make their winter quarters in some warm place like Sarasota, Florida. The circus did set up at the edge of town, most likely as a 6t -ho sort of dress reh^salj geL'Ljng ready for the summer tour. That happened twice, and each time the town grew a bit, ex­ pecting something permanent. There was the Ringling Market, with a Sir foot ramp to the second floor dance hall, a cement jail, a huge community hall, and two grand churches. I When the circus folk moved out, the town slowly died. Two fires in the thirties wiped out most of the homes Now the old decrepit bar is the bright spot in town. The sign behind the bar seemS e/ninently appropriate^—‘ \J^ECOMMENDED BY DRUNKEN HEINZ .V Llhe bank was torn down in 1969 because the owner '^^^st felt like it// and was tired of paying taxes on an empty building. �T^^stORY OUTHOUSE Norm Wei ^J^en the town forgot to pay ^ounty taxes on the Community ^all, some'^tranger^ sneaked in, bought the ^all for back taxes, and tried to take over the town. No one objected. (^The old Catholic j!?hurch has lost most of its shingles, right down to bare roofing boards in some places, The two chapels at the front are still used, but the main portion of the church, minus its windows, has become a spacious home for the resident flock of pigeons. l^e Congregational (j!hurch served as a school for a while, but for the past twenty years it has been unused and untended. the bartender knew little about the town of Castle, up the mountain, but he did point me toward an old-timer named Berg in another small town along the way. It was time t to leave ^Sf^naiy -- a second customer had wandered in/ and H the place was getting crowded. ^wald Berg, of Lennepe, Montana, was bom in 1891 in the town of Castle. He was two years old when the town folded, but it has been his hobby to gather infni-mat- ion on the now deserted town. When asked about a twC^story outhouse, he lit up and leaned forward to tell me about it. It was attached to the Castle Hotela catwalk from . second floor to the upper floor of the outhouse. �Norm Weis told of seeing the old hotel register, and jas' taken with the large flowery signatures/^nd the fact that everyone registered for each night in residence. He implied that the outhouses were seldom usedT^ wlt.t^'^he patrons preferrj^ chamber pots, known affectionately as ^<^hundermugsin their bedrooms. The rooms were heated, and the outhouses were not. ^^ologetically, Oswald told me that the out£^ house was gone, and probably the hotel with it. (J_drove on up to Castle, hoping that Oswald might be mistaken about the outhouse. He wasn’t. But the town itself still held an impressive number of old buildings, including an old brothel or two, recognizable by the small cribs made by dividing ordinary upstairs bedrooms. The town had a rather boring history, with only a few high spots to hold the reader's interest. The first silver and lead claims were filed in 1884, the most promising being the Cumberland. The town that sprang up was named for the rocky outcrops that stood like castle towers above the treeline i town reached a population of in the area. Shelby Dillard published '’’^e Whole Truth*^n ‘which he exaggerated the value of the claims, the profits of the mines, and the ebullient quality of the citizenry. �Norm Weis [It was a high^lass town, although it had seven brothels, which were never called by their baser names. of spending profits The Cumberland hauling ore to Helena, built their own smelter, only to find that it cost almost as much to haul charcoal in as it did to haul ore out. The Jawbone Railroad took a lot of talking to get it built)^ reached the outskirts of town in 1891, but k3 frequently suspended operations in the winter heavy drifts over the tracks. smelter exploded in 1892, and a year later the town collapsed when the silver market fell the repeal of the Sherman Act. [rhe population dwindled rapidly, but ^ditor Dillard, apparently believing all the great claims he had printed, hung on until his readership deserted him. finally, only two men remained in town. One winter, with heavy snow limiting their travels, they found themselves short of food. One of th^i^aa managed to walk off the mountain, returning a few days later laden with food, but in a state of exhaustion. His friend welcomed the gro­ ceries and offered him a cup of coffee. Soon the exhausted man left for his own cabin, a short distance away. He died before reaching it, and the population of the town was now �T^O*sfoS 01 Norm Weis ✓'ctn one. A newspaper in the area cscm the headline, of the Population of Castle Dies in Snowstorm.^/ My travels tbinngh Mi-miiL^-nn to rc^CLiiblb the ■wandp-ritigo o 1n.f- ORf the sites vie-itod} the lueiictoii uf su • ^"uet'eecea uiiiy CTlUyt5 '•CtiWLis that uffeied' unusual -ouLhuiig'gs^ .-.u- ♦-K-i __»- -..u-pu ■ ■__ 1____L uiic uuacr rravc ueeii LUinJuiued' �L^MDastV /^/^D ~*M»CO one euim>ji^i ^he Little Rocky Mountains of ^orth Central Mor tana spawned three mining towns in the 1880*^ and 18902^ Zortman is presently the most active, with about fifty souls, one bar, a cafe, an old jail, and a church. \!^What more would you want,'<!/remarked the bartender. Under slight urging, he continued with the recent highlights of life in Zortman. [2^^ few years ago,'A/the barman related, Xj^ne of the heavier drinkers fell asleep in an old Essex parked outside. His buddies painted all the windows black, and the poor guy^slept three days.W^ -50- �P=sfORY Oi/tHOUSE^S^ Norm Wei VH/hy, just last winter when I was tossing out the late drinkers, fixing on closing up for the night, in comes a bunch of guys lugging a Couldn’t hardly close up with that thing sticking out the door had to M stay open all night .\I/ / The late drinkers formed a tight group. In some ways they reminded me of Charlie RusseHS/s statement about drinkin'^ buddies: If you want to know^man, get him drunk and he'^1 tip his hand. If I like a man when I^ sober, I kin hardly keep from Wssing him when I'^ drunk. ways. when This goes both If I don'^t like a man sober, I don'^t want him in the same town when T^m drunk. (jJust west of Zortman a few miles, are the con­ siderable remains of the old Ruby Gulch Mine and town. More thanyi^25 million in gold was taken out of the ^ine, and old Swede, the caretaker, and also one of the men who painted the windows of the Essex black, claims that he took .4 million out by himself, but lost it all in the bar. [a massive trestle was required to reach the rich vein that outcropped high on a steep slope. The trestle �Norm Weis curves in to the mill and smelter, then becomes a road that is. in turn, the main street of the small town. ^The ^ine shut down in 1942 and the school closed its doors in 1949, but all the seats, the blackboards, even the ^J^ust outside of town on a sharp curve to the right, there is a sign reading,^0 foot drop to the left -- np cushion.5y^ It looked like some of SweddvXs handiwork ^andusky, a dozen miles or so southwest of Zortman, was a he11=raising sort of a town. It was the home of miners who illegally mined gold in the nearby Indian andusky, for whom the town was named, arrived in the area'in the 188Oj^s in the company of two hard cases on the run. Pike was immediately involved in a brawl with ordinarily friendly Indians. After shooting a squawXJl^y accident,'^ he suffered a gunshot wound to the body and one to the jaw, removing four teeth and part of the jaw­ bone. The recovery was slow and painful, causing a lifetime rage to set in,.finally causing his death a dozen years later. rothers came to the Little Rockies sometime later as homesteaders, and it wasriVt long before Pike had trouble with them. Pike returned a borrowed plow in a broken condition, claiming it was fractured before he �<T^sfcRY OI/tHOUSE borrowed it. Bad feelings developed, and ,later, when the Curry boys were suspected of rustling, now a lheriff, volunteered to escort them in chains to the near- est judge. On the way, he took the opportunity to get even by beating the boys rather badly. s were found innocent and returned with vengeance in mind. The Curry brother with the baby-face, now called^^id Curry,\/and possessing the hottest temper, led his gang to Jake Harri^^ Saloon in Landusky, looking to have it out with Pike. ^ike was tipping a drj^nk when the Kid slammed him on the back, then planted a fist on Pikd^ bad jaw when he turned. The Kid proceeded to beat Pike to a pulp, while his brothers held the audience at gui^point. Tiring, the Kid stepped back, and Pike, flat on the floor, drew his forty=five. It misfired. Kid Curry shot him dead. I The Kid skipped the country and joined up with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Kid came back in 1966. friends. They claim that the Some say he wanted to visit old Others claim he had money stashed nearby. That same rumor^is voiced in a dozen old towns throughout the dozen olds-timers had told me of a genuine two^»story outhouse in Ashland, Montana. One of them even �Norm Weis f o had a post-card picture^proof . Montana, was on my way home. **f^ last.”^ was gone! Ashland, in Southeastern I was saving the frosting Tom down just a few years before! My disappointment was tempered, however, for there was a marvelous old solid brick outhouse just a block away. It was a small version of the palatial two story brick house that stood in front. Both had fancy cornices, inlaid cross br/ck patterns, and identical roofs. I had often heard of a '■’^ick outhouse^^^^t in somewhat baser terms. I studied it, and indeed, faho»a <naf j|imii^■ i4y iwii .... ; . ? / .... K �ir^sjoRY OI^THOUSE Norm Weis :M'Wwe3oTA'y The difference between an antique and a piece of junk is often a matter of judgement, and our judgement depends upon our age and the age of the item in question. Let those miserable heaps of broken equipment -- tractors, combines. furniture/ and cars.reach an age of we consider them OT SO, and valuable. ^It seems that each generation looks back to an earlier time for reminders of a pleasant past. Il^^s a human trait, I guess, to remember the best and forget the rest. The OLD days, properly aged, become the GOOD OLD days, perhaps that explains my interest in outhouses. In my early years I helped my father build an outhouse behind a cabin on a small lake in ^orthern Minnesota. a particular sort and-we^ finicky about Dad was the design and placement of what he called the ’^athXJ^ He referred to our home^^de cabin as a ^Vwildemess r-- > �T^- S'/orF OI^THOUSE Norm Weis home with five rooms and a path.'v [ The little house had to match the construction of the cabin, right down to the miniature hip roof and log slabs that laced through each other at the corners, like a/ a "tht cfeep (^he outhouse had to open to the _east, and had to be placed so that the door would not face the cabin. The door had to swing in, which seriously limited the space inside, but Dad had his reasons. The lane from cabin to outhouse was nearly straight, with gentle curves to add class. Trees were planted on either side of the door to create a ^!^fetching entrance.'^ (^^nside, we built a multi-sided stool” instead of a simple plank seat. and on the ”stool”^we placed a genuine toilet seat and lid. A vent connected the stool assembly to the outside through an enclosedchutz that led to the roof. A sack of lime took up residence in the comer, with a long^ handled dipper hanging nearby ready to neutralize each deposit. Two small screened windows high on opposiji^ walls provided cross ventilation. The shape of those vents was the topic of family discussion. Moons? Stars? along with the family name of Perhaps an owl cut out to go Weis I have forgotten just what shape was finally used, since the discussion mired dexm when the difficulty of cutting intricate �Tlfo=sfoRY OlfTHOU Norm Weis patterns in the log siding became evident. ^^t’s not likely that my father ever read the little eighteen-page booklet written by Chic Sales/^ntitledj 'C4’he Speclalist.Xj/ This charming little essay, in bound form, sold over a million copies in dozens of countries. It de- tailed the thoughts of a man who specialized in building out­ houses. Although he makes no mention of the twO^story variety, he does present some very good ideas, most of which my father incorporated in his masterpiece as a matter of common sense. ^_For example, the ^ast facing door let one view the sunrise during the morning^s constitutional where the inward opening door was essential. and that's One could hold the door open with a foot, but quickly shut the door and hold it shut, should another customer arrive. with an out^swinging door. It would be awkward A person could find himself ex­ posed while leaning out the door, feeling for the handle. (jThe straight path was a matter of efficiency, es­ pecially for nocturnal use. As Chic put it, ^that ain't no time to be stumbling around on some winding path.X/ [jlhere were five youngsters in our family, and I was right in the middle, age wisj^-^^a spot reserved for the family idea man, often referred to as the black sheep or the hell^aiser. One of my milder ideas was to photograph family -57- �T}&O=S/ORY Oj^THOUSE Norm Weis members going to the outhouse, with a movie camera set on slow speed, then catching their exit on high speed setting. When projected, this showed everyone running to the outhouse ’ and sauntering back, which sort of proved Chic^ concerning the straightness of the path. idea We could have had a curved return path, and it would have been a great idea to run that path the woodpile, so two jobs could be done one trip. Q^he Specialist,'^ I learned many years later, had suggested this ploy, even to placing the woodpile beside the outhouse, claiming that a hired girl would bring in ten loads of kindling in one day more if she was the shy sort. It helped to put a return spring on the door so that the out­ house always appeared to be occupied. . I The only thing my father neglected/ that'^^he Specialist^J^recommended, was to ^^aint her two color and contrasty, since dark airi^t no time to be scouting around.X/ l^e always carried flashlights at night, but that was primarily to avoid skunks which abounded in the area. especially late in the summer, when garbage pits attracted the little varmints from miles around. ^^ne morning my younger sister, Jessica, returned from a quick visit to the little house out back/^n a rather agitated state. She claimed there were'^unny noises out -58- �T$0=sf0RY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis the re (^y brothers and I offered comfort and explanations. MZf^ow you've got to figure on funny noises in outhouses, Jess. It\^ one of the little entertainments provided by nature Jess huffed and gave us an imitation of the mysterious sound that was between a cough and a snort. \^ha6^4 normal,'^ we told her, and explained that it could be even louder if she altered her diet. When Jess got down to foot^stomping, we figured she was serious, and decided maybe we should have a look. Jess was right, for down in the pit, standing on a small mountain surrounded by a moat, was a very disconsolate skunk sneezing on the lime that covered his head and back, mak­ ing that strange sound just like Jess had imitated. We could see we had a problem that needed discussing. After long debate, we decided to shoot the skunk and make a I took careful aim while quick getaway in case of gas attack. holding the lid up with one hand and the door open with a foot. Jess stood in the doorway with the lime sack. dumped the lin^and ran out the door. I shot, Jess I dropped the lid, slammed the door and ran for cover. ^here wasn'^t a bit of stink. Word of my success spread along cabin row, and my services were sought out. I dis­ patched dozens of skunks from garbage pits and crawl spaces. fame spread throughout the county. I considered it a public My �Norm Wei ervice/ since some of the skunks were suspected of being rabid, ^J^en a store owner in the nearby town of Park Rapids asked me to take care of a skunk trapped in his window well, I quickly accepted the challenge, proud to demonstrate my talents. I promised the owner an odorless solution. I asked for a shovel, dug a hole out in the alley in which to bury the skunk, then placed the shovel handy in the window well. My client was impressed. I took careful aim at the spot that experience had shown would result in an instan­ taneous, no smell demise. A careful squeeze, and bang! The job was done, except that the ^ead^ skunkVs tail slowly rose, and he sprayed and sprayed and stunk and stunk! The proprietor gave me a dirty look that plainly reduced me to amateur status. I buried the skunk, and left the shovel too, buried to the handle, hoping my reputation might recover as the smell wore out and his customers returned. weeks. The smell was gone in two My reputation was gone forever. ^n uncle of mine used to brag of tipping ten crappers over during one Halloween night. My uncle, and most other folk, liked to use the term“^rapper^^but I always considered it a ctnc word with a blue tinge, ^acceptable in polite conversation. Such is not really the case. ^^_^ir Thomas Crapper was the inventor of a revolutionary valve that permitted a permanently installed bed^ot to allow its holdings to be washed down a sewer pipe. -60- His valve involved �T^o=sfo^ oiJthouse Norm Weis <5TIaJC a trap, or "S’? curve in the bowl to prevent odors from backing up the pipe, and another valve to shut the flow of flush water, and permit a refill of an overhead tank. called '^rappers These toilets were and it was as nice a word as'^an Dyke,'^ meaning a beard. ^ut '^c rapper^ had a naughty ring to it, and soon one of other variations of the word became common. those rare words that got smutty with use. Most words take on a milder everjT^day application with the passage of time. A word that would curl your hair forty years ago is now commonly on the tongue of the young and innocent. When the crapper came into common use, many older homes and hotels retrofitted their facilities. Usually an upstairs room was selected, and part of the floor elevated to allow room for the plumbing to be placed under the stool. This was much easier than tearing up the ceiling of the room below. That platform gave rise to the term ^throne,Xl/and the room became the\%hrone room,\y^a noble place to situate a crapper. -61- �Norm Weis. C dJL'cJEA DO Some of my best tips on two story outhouses came from skiers. It made sense. Where there was heavy snow, there should also be tall back houses. Several friends had suggested I visit Crested Butte, Colorado, insisting that a number of unusual outhouses were still in use in the town proper. The nearby ski resort was quite modem, but the re­ tired coal miners still living in Crested Butte still held to their old value^—^^uthouses included, according to on my helpful friends. ^^had high hopes of success as I drove south in- to the neighboring State of Colorado. My map study of the ^tate indicated a number of possibilities. Caribou, at an elevation of 9,905 feet^must certainly have had enough snow to spawn a double'^decker. Crested Butte had to be investi- gated, as did Lake City, where a strange case -62- �Tj^S'f’ORY OUTHOUSE 'Norm Wei of cannibalism had occurred. And there were other towns with lesser reputations worth a look, like Pearl, Colorado, just across the Wyoming border. resident remained in the little\>^host towAv^ of Pearl, the daughter of one of the earliest settlers, Nina wasn’t given to exaggeration, by the name of Nina Rhea. being more inclined to tell it the way it was. Het father. Cooke, was the leading hunting guide in the area spanning the times that Pearl grew and died. He was always suspicious of the mining that was supposedly done near town, considering it mo and blue=sk*5^ not much ore,being moved. A ^ina told of a money changs® pockets, aod to fancy steam engine that was hauled to one of the mines by a sixteenxhorse team, and how stock in the place rose abruptly, wheelsaid Nina. X/fiut the engine never tuned a ''yPearl was a boom-town that never even popped Supposedly copper, silver and gold were mined from the Zirkle and Wolverine Mines, and indeed, in 1900, prospects folk sprang up. looked so good that a town of There were two saloons, three hotels, and forty or so hoWes, but no tall outhouses. names of various creeks and mountains in the area carried the humorous stamp of old Cooke Rhea. -63- When a �Ty^=s;foRY Norm Weis ■r government cartographer asked Cooke the name of a certain creek, he ireplied, VDamfino,X/and so it was'<5<)amfino Creek'’^ officially. Whiskey Mountain was the name he gave to a nearby peak for its abundance of empty booze bottles left by a wealthy English hunter. And a creek of indefinite source became V^Conundrum Creek,a name certain to puzzle -—the greenhorn. �cJo ~ road to Caribou was steep, and three miles short of town the wind began to blow. By the time I reached 9,900 feet, the breeze had become a gale. The vehicle rocked and the trees whipped like grain. The old wooden buildings of town had taken on a list, and any tree with guts enough to grow in the open had a built-in lean. Rock wall remains of the old hotels were still vertical, but badly blasted by windbome sand and gravel. If any two-story outhouses had ever existed, they would have long since been battered and probably blown away. (_It was a hostile place, and no one in his right mind would live there, unless, that is, he had a heavy in­ terest in a mine that pumped out ore rich in silver. [Conger found the outcrop in 1869. With a partner named Martin, he explored the vein, and turned up ore that quickly attracted ^86 people to the little town. They named It ’carlbou,*^^or the big game ^probably elk^ that could be harvested nearby. -64- �(t^=S'/0RY Olfej Norm Weis ^eavy snows with the high winds caused such a hazard that school was held only in spring, summer, and fall. There was a three^month winter vacation. five foot drifts were common. Twenty= Miners returning from a short visit down the hill sometimes had to probe for their cabins with long cane poles. Hotel residents entered and exited through second floor windows. (in the summer there was lightning. Vicious bolts that slammed into th® town seeking the heavy iron deposits that rested just beneath the surface. (But it was a moral town. In 1881, the whores and gamblers were voted out of town, and Cardinal, the next town down the mountain, inherited them. [Two bad fires removed many of the wooden struc'tures of Caribou, and epidemics of diptheria and scarlet fever decimated the populations. in 1944. The last resident died �I <2-P Qa^tlaau.^ [Two hundred miles wes^/^at an altitude of 8,885 feet, lie the town and adjacent ski area of Crested Butte. S It is a place of contras^, town, retired coalminers live on minimal funds, wniie the slopes, ski buffs dine on gourmet food. Lear jets wheel overhead. while oldstimers tread the boardwalks. A 0^ Tired skiers loll in hot tubs at the ^is^resort, but in town �TwO=STORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis most homes lack sewer systems. Below the ski slope, an astronaut has built a fancy cabin with all the conveniences, while in town, a two^story outhouse is still in use at the Masonic ^all. ^_^fter I had a good look at the Masonic ^all masterpiece, I wandered leisurely about town, looking for other examples of early plumbing, The town hall, a beauti- ful structure from the front, had .a two^story outhouse attached to the bac^^—nearby , an old two=story saloon with twelve^foot ceilings, had a most unusual three-way outhouse accessible from the upper floor, main floor, and ground level. (Numerous houses had covered walkways leading from warm kitchens to cold outhouses -- far enough to prevent a H mix of odors, yet freely accessed in spite of heavy snows. ^ight or nine feet of snow on the level was common in Crested Butte, and one record year it exceeded twenty feet. Avalanches were common on the slopes above town, one wiping out the boarding house, superintendent’s house, and two sheds of an active coal mine. Several died, but one man rode the avalanche all the way down unharmed. (The Elk Mountain House, an early way station. had the ultimate outhouse. It is no longer standing, but -66- �fO^sfoRY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis the memory of the building is fresh in the minds of the longs: term residents. Each of the three floors had walkways lead­ ing to outhouses that dropped into a common pit. The seat of the upper outhouse was sixteen feet above ground level, and the pit was twelve feet deep for a clear ^and no doubt noisy^ drop of twenty—eight feetlX' Each outhouse also had storage space for stove wood, so that customers could do two jobs at once. The designer must have read'^he '**S^c list^by Chic Sales. (^The many covered walkways from house to outhouse fascinated me. I found one that seemed to be deserted. There was no paint on the house, the curtains were tattered, and the lawn untended. I entered an open doorway at the house end of the walkway and sauntered the dim length of the tunnel- like outhouse access. The outhouse was surprisingly clean, and still had a partial roll of paper standing by the seat. I returned to the house, considered trying the door, then decided in favor of photographing the exterior. ^On the third exposure, a shadow fell over the lens. I looked up, then looked up quite a bit higher to see a giant of a man glaring down at me with great hostility. He said '^ah/^/^nd walked into me, bumping me back while I racked my memory for a Swedish word or two. I tried "•*^nya tussen tuckwhich is Norsky for thanks much. He stopped, 4vo(vi 7 f �Norm Wei apparently unwilling to take advantage of a foreigner. I left quickly, thankful that I hadn't tried the back door of the house I had foolishly assumed deserted. (jThe town was presently being invaded by large numbers of free-living young people. late generation hippies. over this incursion. They might be called The town folk were split badly The young folk were moving into old buildings, occupying old mines, and were a general nuisance to most merchants, except those found they could make a buck off the newcomers. ^igns proclaiming '^o Shoes, No Shirts, No Service^were everywhere. And so were the dogs. It seemed that every newcomer had at least two dogs. One old=timer, A ’ when asked his opinion of hippies, said simply, VJt^ogs, dirt, town was polarized and the marshall could not please both groups. One of the towiiys two newspapers complained of -fen the new leash law; the other claimed the dog tags should be priced When criticized, he quit. hif^er. One irate woman said she would give any dog coming into her backyard a dose of buckshot and another to the doowner, given the chance. stock A local rancher claimed he was shooting two dogs a day to protect the �■fte old t-owCT of ^Crested Butte didn% deserve such controversy. It had always been a quiet place tucked away in the mountains, existing only to serve the mining industry. Originally it was a gold camp. Soon a smelter was built, and coal deposits were found nearby to fuel the smelter. The gold petered out, but the coal seams were thick, and soon the gold camp became a coal town. By 1880 there were 250 people in town, and two years later, the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company took over the mining operation, developing three anthracite and three bituminous mines. /a huge blast in the Jokerville Mine shaft killed fifty-eight miners in 1884, shortly after new^^safety venti­ lators^ had been installed. The Jokerville closed down, but remaining mines continued to serve the Fuel and Iron Company and the Denver and Rio Grande Railway until 1952, when the railroad switched to diesel“powered locomotives. (JThe population dropped abruptly; vR-th many cofl^miners retir^^^ on the spot. The town began to look like a ghost town " old, unpainted, ramshackle. [ But then the ski craze hit Colorado, and Crested Butte was one of the first sites selected by developers. The new business w^ welcome, and the town began to perk up and Thence long-haired element arrived, and threw the6L ' into controversy that only time UJi/f heal. 4 clean up. �Norm Weis a fascinating place to visit. -litriguing. feet up The Old gentlemen prop their pot-bellied stoves, while nearby, long-haired young folk speak of the advantages of singing to one'^ self and the therapy of X^hollering under your breath stopped by for one last visit to the two=story outhouse behind the Masonic ^all. It looked like it was built by a committee, with roof lines at odd angles, and a second floor door with no stairway. I took photos from all angles, finding that no single view could reveal its true function. (in the upper portion of the twoxstory outhouse there was a sigi]^-^'**^THING OVER EIGHT POUNDS MUST BE LOWERED BY ROPE.'**"'^^ ^/^lushed with success, I set out for a site that held little promise of tall outhouses, but promised a unique tale �LAre ci'ry southwestern Colorado,') a few miles north of the Slum^ullion Mud Slide. It’s a modest town of several hundred year-round QjT bootvi-S residents^ LliSt hnwc ^ach summer^with trout fishermen and each winter with snowmobilers. The town grew aly^ut a few gold and silver mines in 1874, but one year earlier, an event cjccuk/ccI that put Lake City on the map/before it/evan^existed. 7 �^_Alfred Packer was serving a sentence in a Salt:. Lake City jail on a charge of counterfeiting. He had voiced his knowledge of prospecting, and offered his services as guide to a number of Word got around, and soon five men pooled a kitty and bailed him out with the under­ standing that Packer would guide them into the Ouray area. It would cost the five men their lives, but they would become famous in the process. / Israel Swan, George Noon, Frank Miller, James n? / X — Humpha^^i®*, and Wilson Bell, led by Alfred Packer, wandered through what is now southwestern Colorado, looking for gold. In January, they visited Chief Ouray, a friendly Ute, who advised them not to head east. Snow deep, and traveling would be treacherous, but their intrepid guide^illf<?i' Packer was sure they could make it. ^n April, 4iS^^Packer showed up at an Indian ^ency seventy-five miles away. He told of losing contact with his charges in a blizzard, and nearly starving to death in the process of finding his way back to civilization. He bought drinks with money from several wallets. I / Hre looked suspiciously well-fed for a man who claimed to have been short of food. and backtracked his trail. The Indians were They found strips of flesh beside his tracks -- flesh that bore little resemblance �Cr^^SyORY O/^THOUSE^r^ Norm Weis -to wild game. Shortly, prospectors reported finding the bodies of five men,/with fractured skulls and great quan titles of flesh stripped from their bones. A search was mounted, but Packer had left the country. ^ine years later. Packer was apprehended in Wyoming. He had lived quite a normal life -- even served on the bench in Montana for a time. Lake City for trial. He was hustled to Lake City by this time had become ■FiOC, ( T'dg a bustling town of almost j and all^^^^S&O^ were anxious to see justice done to Colorado'^ only cannibal. ''id^rni {packer was tried for canr^balism and murder. He was found guilty and sentenced to hang by the neck until dead. The judge's exact words are lost in the legend that grew about the case, but they were no doubt similar to the many renditions, some poetic, that have sur­ vived. A poem by Stella Pavich states that the judge claimed 'Vlhere were seven democrats in the county, and you, you voracious son-of =a=bitch, you A^^®i^acker five of themlV^ claimed that Wilson Bell had killed the others after they had all lost their way and run out of food. He had no choice, he explained, and when Bell tried to kill and eat him, he only reacted in self=defense. A This argument brought him a new trial. He was found innocent and released, to become a recluse until his death in 1907. �T^S'/ORY O^THOUSE^7 Q Norm Weis [just south of Lake City, near Slumgullion Slide, at an elevation of 11,400 feet, there is a fenced-in grave^ site, and a plaque **cocmemorating’’^^the event. / (L> / At the University of Colorado, Boulder, students voted on a new nane for the grill in their Memorial Union building. With great humor. and by a large majority, they elected to call it the^J \i/alfred e. packer grill.xz' Of course, the sign over the door, either by mistake or by design, spells Packez^^s first name, ^i^ferd^ thus piling more confusion on a SB story already overloaded with discrepancies �ORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis {\J —------ -Losr -------- The route to the Black Hills passed close to several old Wyoming tovTns -th^^ I had always wanted to visit. None of them held great stories, but each had some sma11 claim to fame. , ^^ost Springs, aboutmiles east of Casper, has been nearly deserted for dozens of years. varies between two and seven. The population The country store still operates, catering to ranch folk in the area. The brick bank that occupied one comer of the only intersection in town has become famous throughout the ^tate. People would drive miles out of their way to be served through the teller’s window and observe the vault being used for liquor storage pj- sort of a secure back bar. (rhe deserted gym, at what is now called the Town Hall, was a classic. The ceilings were just slightly higher �<:^T^==S'j0RY O0THOUSe£^ Norm Weis •han the rims on the bang^boards/ and hanging lights limited the clearance even more. The lights were of the pressurized gas and mantle varietj^similar to Coleman lanterns. Basket^ bailers at Lost Springs were noted for their line drive shots, and the strange dodge to the side before shooting, in order to clear the chandeliers. An old story told of another small town basketball player not so far away would be appropriate to Lost Springs, since they played outside whenever possible, hlgher^ei 1 ings After winning a tournament in a fancy big city gym, the ace player of the team was being interviewed and was asked how he explained his phenomenal percentage of shots from beyond the free throw circle. He replied, VJ^ell, heck, there ain’t no wind in hereX/ / About thirty miles to the south of Lost Springs lies the long deserted company town of Sunrise, -So named be- cause the sun rose late each morning the east. the tall hills to Like many things, ^unrise seemed more precious the longer one had to wait for it. ^Copper was mined here first, but the veins ran out just as deposits of high grade iron ore ’^hematitejp were Shortly after the turn of the century, the (^600 Colorado Fuel and Iron Corporation was taking'SSShfS&O Lons discovered. per year out of the open pit mines. The iron ore, and the coal mined at Crested Butte, were mated in Pueblo, Colorado, structural atpeWinn.. the rpsiilifc— -75- �Norm Weis Z '' 1941, open pit mining was suspended in favor subsidence mining, where the lode is removed at the bottom I and the overburden permitted to collapse downward. mining was suspended and most of the residents moved to other towns to take other jobs. As a company policy, many of the buildings have been burned to eliminate liability problems and tax assessments. / That means the long sixty-five car garage will soon go. More than^©- feet long so long it has to bend to match the curve of the road fronting it -- it is truly one building under one long, leaky roof. garage in the world. Ripley called it the longest Even more unusual is its location in Wyoming, one of the least populated states in the Union. Just north of Newcastle, at the eastern border of Vtyoming, the remains of a large, long-deserted coal town are 4 sprinkled along a narrow carbon-stained valley. It was named Cambria and it was quite a going concern. But now there is hardly enough left to make a picture. wanted to visit the town and its suburb just west on the high flats, for an odd reason. The suburb was called Antelope City, and they had a baseball team named the ViNeversweats I had always thought that gamesmanship was a recent innovation, but the name'^I’^Jeversweats'^ won^^ indicat^ that the coal-miners of 1900 knew all about it. <- -76- �ST^ORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis With a name like V/f^eversweats ,\I/ the opposition is intimidated even before the game starts without working up a sweat. / a/aric'ecJ ^f> L_had you ahearen tee sweat! and even if you lose, you lost Think what you could have done �C_ 1 co6> llLACiC /^/?Ez» ^^etailed maps of the Black Hills area revealed '' /a number of small towns worth looking into. Some were well / known, like Keystone and Rockford, others seemed to /juf, known even to the natives. ^Cascade Springs is a most unusual place. Only ten miles south of Hot Springs on what was once a main high­ way, it now stands completely deserted. Four buildings still remain on what was once the main thoroughfare. On the north side, a^T^^ld/beautifthree-story rock hotel standstall brush. On the south side of the road, all in a row, are the two-story ^io/7^ bank, the brick Fargo Office, and a ramshackle old wooden building leaning against a prop. And built on to the back of that building is a bowling alley! A bowling alley in a ghost town! haps I have lived too long/ Per­ The town dates from 1888, when a promoter named Allen heard that a railroad was to pass by his favorite spring. He gathered investors and built a small version of the hot springs spas to the north. But alas, the rail- road bypassed Cascade Springs, gracing the town of Edgemont instead. �Norm Weis ^_A^the extreme wes^y edge of the Black Hills, < amid dense stands of tall pines, lies a relatively modem \^arpape:^v^ghost town called Tinton. Traveling west from Lead, South Dakota, following a topographic map, I was sur­ prised at the lack of any kind of road signs at the many dirt road intersections. I stopped at a cabin to check my route. and was informed that Tinton was yet a dozen miles away, and was indeed deserted, but had lately become the hangout for a full grown mountain lion. an old mine shack appeared, then a head frame house clinging to a hillside above a small lake. A badly bent sign held the log^^-'-^'^^ansteele Met^urgical Co.\/ Shortly, I passed by the edge of town, but continued to explore the buildings beyond. Two ball mills stood with flapping rusted metal sheeting. vertical beam. One had stamped in a There was a sign on another mine building— 'Dakota Tin and Gold Co and the number ^8^1939 which I assumed meant that August, 1939 was the date of construction. Back in town, I noticed an old deserted car of unfamiliar contour. a DeSoto, causing tion. The name plate showed it to speculate on the date of its deser­ It probably gave up the ghost some two dozen years ear//er, putting the lif^ of Tinton somewhere in the vicinity of 1939 to 1950. -78- �T^0-S2?0RY OUTHOUSE Norm Wei I followed the two - lane roadAtfaat wanderjrf buildings standing in good order p-the through -aaWl and surprisingly intact. Most of the residences were covered with red tarpaper, but underneath they were much more sub­ stantial than mere shacks. The large community hall was of standard wood construction, but many of its windows were broken out, boarded over, or replaced with chicken wire. In one place, the wire had been breached, and I crawled though. It was one big room, with a stage at one end, and a ban^oard made from an old bam door. In the comer was a pile of news3 papers, twigs and old clothing. Then I remembered the warning about the mountain mouse nest. lion. It looked like a king-size With all deliberate haste I returned to the opening in the window. The sudden screech that accelerated my passage through the chicken wire turned out to be a metal sign blowing against a steel post! 1 There were tracks, however -- big pug marks that I traced and later identified as those of a puma, or mountain lion. I nosed about the remainder of the town with great care, peering into each building before entering. Nine of the residences were identical, indicating that this was pro­ bably a company town. Several more imposing homes no doubt went to the owners and bosses. ^There were more pug marks around the little white schoolhouse. I settled for a photo of the exterior. -79t �sa means ^^eautifuh^ little town at the eastern edge of the Black Hills is indeed that. At one time more than a thousand folk lived in the quiet tree-shaded town. Now there had to be a party to one hundred. I^Once called the Battle River Stage later became a rough-and-tumble gambling town, Station During its C wilder period, it is reported that a foreigner with ^larly annoying personality frequently visited the local bar. After one long evening of suffering under the manVs constant bragging, the locals plotted a rebuttal. I The next morning, the pestiferous one stepped out of his boarding house and walked to the outhouse. With care, loyal residents of Hermosa estimated the time it would take the man to declothe and settle into position. Then, CL a lariat was thrown around the outhouse and tied to the pommel of a With a whoop, the horse took off. He was t^Aveling full tilt when the slack took up and jerked the outhouse clean off its underpinnings, leaving one surprised foreigner caught with his pants down. ^ochford, buried deep in the middle of the Black Hills, is typical of matafcsasHfefae old towns that suddenly grew around precious metal deposits wban the area was y^^^opei^d to the whitman. 80 �Norm Weis Anna D. Tailant journeyed to the Black Hills in 1874 with a party of thirty men, when it was still ites pass on the sacred Indian land. They built a stockade and prospected until the ^rmy kicked themz— out Anna returned in 1877 and helped establish■the little town of Rochford. She was schoolteacher and post- mistress until the town faded, less than ten years later. I Although there are no fascinating outhouses, i’t there are a number of classic^ worth a visit. The old jail. low-ceilinged and windowless, remains as originally built. lined with quarter^inch steel plate. A number of boardwalks front buildings on Main Street, some with trap doors leading to basements under th«e stores and shops. The Standby Mine and Mill stands by at the east edge of town, an imposing structure of uncertain strength. as it weathers. It gathers character �lle few miles to the south, next to the old Alta l.odi Mine, stand the remains of the little town of Myersville, sometimes called Myers City. The town is of little note, and would not be mentioned here if I hadn'^t stumbled upon a fascinating old book in the attic of e’zt 3 h6rne> It was .titled; — /> I EVERYBODY^'/S GUIDE; ox THINGS WORTH KNOWING by: R. Moore �THOUSE and was &opywrited in New York in 1884. Norm Weis I spent the entire afternoon reading that book, amazed at what was known in 1884, and even more amazed at what was claimed to be fact concerning r//// not: u>A. ^The book starts with recipes, including a dandy for a bread claimed to cure indigestion; PE PS IA BREAD.-*- The following receipt for making bread has proved nighly salutary to persons afflicted with dyspepsia, vis;-j^3 quarts unbolted wheat meal; 1 quart soft water, warm but not hot; 1 gill of fresh yeaS"^; 1 gill molasses, or not, as may suit the taste; 1 teaspoonful of saleratus.”—*— ---------- In the farmer^ receipts chapter, this little g save a favorite horse: TO CURE BROKEN LEGS.77-Instead of summarily shooting the horse, in the greyer number of fSctures it is only nece of a broad piece of sail, or other strong cloth placed under the animal’s belly, furnished with 2 breechings and 2 breast girths, and by means of ropes and pulleys attached to a cross beam above, he is elevated, or lowered, as may be required. By the adoption of this plan every facility is allowed for -There was much more, including a method of curing a balky horse by spinning him about, and a method of doubling the quantity of manure from a given animal! ~/ln the 2^edical Apartment, we have: '^LES FOR ACTION, VERY SHORT BUT VERY SAFE. In health and disease endeavor always to live on the sunny ---- side. Sir James Wylie, late physician to the EmpCror of Russia, remarked during long observation in the hospitals of that country, that the cases of death occurring in rooms averted from the light of the sun, were four times more numerous than the fatal cases 7 �C^T^S^ORY O0THOUSE^ in the rooms exposed to the direct action of the solar rays. When poison is swallowed, a good off-hand remedy is to mix salt and mustard, 1 heaped teaspoonful of each, in a glass of water and drink immediately. It is quick in its operation. Then give the whites of 2 eggs in a cup of coffee, or the eggs alone if coffee cannot be had. For acid poisons give acids. In cases of opium poisoning, give strong coffee and keep moving. For light burns or scalds, dip the part in cold water or in flour, if the skin is destroyed, cover with varnish. If you fall into the water, float on the back, with the nose and mouth project­ ing. For apoplexy, raise the head and body; for fainting, lay the person flat. Suck poisoned wounds, unless your mouth is sore. Enlarge the wound, or better cut out the part without delay, cauterize it with caustic, the end of a vein is cut, compress below. If choked, get upon all fours and cough. Before passing through smoke take a full breath, stoop low, then go ahead; but if you fear carbonic acid gas, walk erect and be careS ful. Smother a fire with blankets or carpets; water tends to spread burning oil and increase the danger. Remove dust from the eyes by dashing water into them, and avoid rubbing. Remove cinders, with a softj smooth wooden point. Preserve health and avoid catch­ ing^ cold by regular diet, healthy food and cleanliness. ^CURE FOR DRUNKENNESS.yi-U^rranted a certain Remedy. Confine the patient to nis room, furnish him with his favorite liquor of discretion, diluted with 2/3 of water, as much wine, beer, coffee and tea as he desires^ but containing 1/8 of .spirit; all the food-^the bread, meat and vegetables steeped in spirit anci water. On the fifth day of this treat­ ment he has an extreme disgust for spirit, being continually drunk. Keep up this treatment till he no longer desires to eat or drink, and the cure is certain. ^URE FOR LOCK JAW, SAID TO BE POSITIVE-jj-Let any one who has an attack of lock jaw take a sma^ll all quantity of ^irits of turpentine, warm it, and pour it on the wound no matter where the wound is, or what its nature is and relief will follow in less than one minute. Turpentine is also a sovereign remedy /d /O0S �O^HOUSE^ for croup. Saturate a piece of flannel with it, and place the flannel on the throat and chestj^and in very severe cases three to five drops on a lump of sugar may be taken internally.” ~ ------ And fcfej dandy cure that -io po Retails on the method of unstated. T-fcg Qotiian. s are Obviously one must follow the goose about with an empty tin and wait for a propitious moment. CERTAIN CURE FOR CROUP.^Goose oil and urine equal parts. Dose 1 teaspoonful. A certain cure if taken £aTso, _t^s about speech impediments and sleep: Stammering.-jjjimpediments in the speech may be cured, where there is no malformation of the organs of arti­ culation, by p^^everance, for three or four months, in the simple remedy of reading aloud, with the teeth closed, for at least 2 hours each day.”— ^^^^^cessary Rules FOR SLEEP, There is no fact more clearly established in the ^ysiology of man than this, that the brain expends its energies and it­ self during the hours of wakefulness and that these are recuperated during sleep. If the recuperation does not equal the expenditure, the brain withers; this is insanity.... .**•—— .n the ^hapter on Mjseful Hints to Grocers CHEAP VINEGAR.-^Mix 25 gals, of warm rain water, with 4 gal., molasses and 1 gal. yeast, and let it ferment; you will soon have the best of vine­ gar; keep adding these articles in these propor­ tions as the stock is sold.**— *^HERKINS.--Take small cucumbers 4not young)^ steep for a week in very strong brine; it is then poured off, heated to the boiling point and again pour on the fruit. The next day the // �fO^sfoRY O^HOUSE Norm Weis ■gherkins are strained on a sieve, wiped dry, put into bottles or jars, with some spice, gin^^>7 pepper, or cayenne, and at once covered with strong [we are also told hofo* to make butter and place it in a tub or firkin. It occurred to me that if one stores his pickles in a butter tub, he would have a firkin of gherkins! ^here w^s more, a great deal mor^in that book. Hints oh curing damp walls, keeping meat fresh by soaking in buttermilk, how to stain glass, sharpen saws, lay rock, make paint, and repair watches. a better man for having read it! �Norm Weis p£xi''f' V/ "Tessas Pat Day used to be a good and trusted friend, right Up until he gave me the champion of all bum steers. ^^t frequently drove from Midland, Texas to Casper, Wyoming as a representative of an explosives firm. , On each trip, he drove past a strange old building that he felt certain was a genuine two=^story outhouse. His cer­ tainty was no doubt colored by his desire to have my wife and me visit his family in brand new home. A few years ago, shortly after Christmas, we weakened, and set out by car for the vast wasteland called Texas. It took two days,/ and W^^iles of driving to reach Dalhart, Texas, near the site of the oft-mentioned two-story outhouse. -rd- �Norm Weis to the right amid a solid blanket of foot-deep snow. A small staircase led to a substandard size^/^^oor. My hopes evaporated as I stooped to enter. The place was bare except for a shoulder-high rectangular opening and a sheet of one-eighth-inch=thick steel against one wall. Pat Day’s two=-story outhouse was an old deserted skeet house! jcourse I photographed it, figuring on using it as ammunition to tone down Patrick should he wax too eloquently in the future. He was properly embarrassed, apologetic, and full of southern hospitality during our brief stay with the Day family. ^n an attempt to salvage the effort of traveling the considerable distance, we traveled on to the Big Bend ^untry of Texas, in search of a bit of history perhaps an interesting outhouse or two. ^Eighty miles or so east of Presidio, near on the small settlement of Lajitas, the edge of a relatively flat plain, stand the remains of the adobe and tin town of Terlingua. Some history buffs claim means three forks;^ —‘Others lean toward'^hree languages^?feng 1 ish7~SpQi^ ish, and probably a local Indian tongu^. �Norm Weis Til'IiltfXy Indians^ found a strange orange rock that turned almost red when moistened, and occasionally.^sasfe' dripped a silvery liquid. It was considered of little value until 1884, when Juan Acosta had it assayed and found it was a very high grade mercury ore called cinnabar. / A number of small operations started up, but remained relatively unimportant until Howard E. Perry entered the picture. Start. Perry was greatly disliked from the He paid workers $14.50 per week, deducted $12.50 prT'^^^k for store accounts and medical expenses. Jltercury vapor, present in huge quantities from the roasting of cinnabar, was breathed freely, causing heavy salivation and loss of teeth. would be learned that it also caused Fifty years later it brain damage, particularly in the young. I^rry built a company town, then rented homes, store space, and even the school to the citizens of Ter­ lingua. Of the seventy-five adobe buildings, the store brought the best fe^jJthe school c^MMAg in second at per year. l_ln 1906 he built a mansion in Terlingua, and lived the life of a king. he ran with a heavy hand. -fiUe King of the mercury mines which During the 1920’^his production -fUouScod peaked at 5^000 flasks a year at $4(7-QO a flas^ but his kingdom evaporated in 1944 when his tax problems and —-> �Norm Weis bookkeeping irregularities caught up with him. He died dur­ ing his trial that year, and the various mines and buildings in town were auctioned off at a bankruptcy sale. ^o Texans, Terlingua might look quite ordinary, but adobe schools, adobe houses, and especially adobe outC houses fascinated me. The one near the school was a classic, with double^stall sections each for boys and for girls. [Mine No. 245, a few miles east of Terlingua, held a number of old buildings with two-=-foot-thick r<?c^ £da.fls /I K J f: ana a head frame shaft. stoodJ over a deep, unprotected A rocl^Adropped from the top, bottomed in eight seconds, indicating a depth of nearly ^J^he Rio Grande Swi^r'^ound feet. serpentine course a scant twenty miles to the south. It was surprisingly narrow, shallow, and easily waded. We saw no indication of massive immigration. in spite of the total lack of fences or warning signs. Two mule pack trains approached us from the Mexican side, then detoured at the sight of our cameras, giving us pause to think, and to click with care. ^{_Oyer eggs ranchero the next morning, I read in the paper of Senator Proxmire's latest Golden Fleece Award. The United States Department of Energy received ue. do y distinction for spending to build a du outhouse with a southern exposure. dubious It was designed, the 'om �Norm Weis department said, '^to put you in the mood for meditation^/ and in proper '^govemmenteze/^it was officially described as an\?^bove Ground Aerobic and Solar Assisted Composting ToiletX/ Of the 257 proposals, this was the winner! 6 �ro*! , Norm Weis VI ------ -Some years ago, I made a old ^otel ^ar in Oatman, Arizona, fooj of myself in the The place was full of signs designed to amuse the reader or to embarrass the unwary. One sigr^^^?^eading \^or Sale Cheap, One Henway looked a bit fishy, so I sipped my beer and waited. Finally another outsider weakened and asked,'^What’s a Henwayand the bar£ tender replied, ^J^bout two pounds. ^^eeling smug, I inquired about another sign that said VAsR about a free ring.Xj/ Next to the sign was a box of rings. The bartender asked if I wanted a free ring, and I replied in the affirmative, only to have him reach over and yank a loud bell, advertising the baptism of yet another greenhorn! |_^0n that same trip, I had noted a large photograph of a twocLStory outhouse, and now that such structures had '—* �Norm Weis become my speciality, another trip to the old town of Oat- And while I was in the area, there were some other sites in Arizona and Nevada that might prove interesting. In 1918, Oatman had dozens of active mines, and a population neat~133fflSr The Americana Mine became the largest producer of gold and silver, and when it shut down in 1942, disaster struck the little town. Americana tore the. down its mill, its hotel,^Honolulu Club, and dance hall. [ Anna Eder, who owned much of the remaining town, could no longer find prospectors willing to go shares for a Her stores went unrented, and her whorehouses grubstrake. were in little demand. She died penniless. y 1 [ Now the town has few year-^ound residents, and caters to tourists, especially in the winter. with a flair. But this is a town One store claims it isS^X)^^ S|5n H / A cafe advertises 'CRagged Ass. Miners Steakwith the period after the '^as^'^ making it perfectly clear that it is an association rather than a portion of the anatomy. Wild burros enter town each afternoon. One year^ round resident claimed the number of burros rivals the population at times, then added, '^up, the jackasses pert near out-_^ number the jackassesXX �OjfrHOUSE^^ Norm Weis /The burros are relatively tame, inclined only to fingers when the handouts slacken, or to Imperil life and limb during the not infrequent fights. BlaclQ?ack and Whitey are in a constant battle for herd leadership, and frequently scatter tourists right and left as one chases the other down Main Street and off into the hills. On one such occasion. Blackjack wandered back with a cut under one eye, and half an hour later. Whitey sneaked in from the other direction, with a chunk taken out of his rump. [rhe photograph of the : two-story outhouse was still hanging in the old hotel. its frame to see side. I studied it, even removed it from a location mighu bt written on the flip The owner of the building had no idea where the outhouse might have been built, or even where the photograph had come from. There was nothing to do but buy a sack of popcorn and feed the burros and think about traveling on. �+ V u rJE'\/AOz^ Cold l^old Point, population eight, stands on a slight rise surrounded by dusty flats in ^outh ^entral Nevada. Once a silver mining community, it now sees only the odd visitor. j By the old gas station, a sign reads 'filtered Gasoleneand behind one residence was an outhouse that made the trip worthwhile. At first it seemed to be made of con­ crete blocks, but on close approach, these blocks turned out to be empty explosive boxes that once held dynamite. Quite �T^O-S'^'ORY ofaHOUS^ Norm Weis appropriate, I thought, and so did the operator of a nearby country store. He told me the old story, with new gestures, about the returning serviceman came back to his small town with a pocketful^^of back pay and a few souvenirs, like a live hand grenade or two. He was determined to rid the old home of the unsightly outhouse, but failed to realize grampa was in the outhouse when he pulled the pin and dropped the grenade through the crescent-shaped ventilator. went in a thousand pieces and a cloud of dust. Up she But there, staggering out of the dust and debris, came grampa. He stopped, looked back, scratched his head, and drawled,'^oy, I'm sure glad I didn't do that in the houseiV" �Goldfield, forty miles north of Gold Point, was a wild place in the early 1900*s. The town held ^,0^0 people, do| had five newspapers, three railroads, <^6 whorehouses, and saloons ’ twenty-five to the block. Gold was pouring from the ground, and high-grading paid better than wages. / ^^igh-grading became a way of life, or at least a way to the ^^g^d life.***^Miners had special pockets sewn into their co^ralls, and wore shoes with hollow heels and soles. Even pic^andles were hollowed out and cleverly plugged. Mine owners, figuring half of the best ore was walking out of the mines, insisted on building change houses so that no clothing -94- �T)fr0=sfaRY OUTHOUSE tools would leave the premises. The miners'^ union fought the move, and eventually Federal Troops were called in to cool things down. I By 1918, the veins were running thin, causing the big operator. Goldfield Consolidated, to close down. town lost half of its population. The Tex Rickard closed up his saloon and hung a sign on the door, 'Odod has gone to Rawhide.^ Zn 1923, a whiskey still blew up and much of the town burned, with the help of a fifty=mile=^per-hour wind. ^^harlie Cecchini was the ranking old-timer in Goldfield. He had lived there for sixty=bne years when we visited a few years ago. a great storyteller. and he^l crinkle He is a delightful old fellow, and Give him a chance to light his pipe, his eyes, take a breath, and tell it straight out. The fire in 1923 burned him out, and he had to buy another house. Things were cheapv since most of the popu- lation had moved out, so Charlie got his new house for down and $20-^60 a month until the entire purchase price of -Six d<5|le<ZS ■ $80;Q6 was paid off. He was earning a day mining for the Spearhead Mine. Later he worked for other mines, was constable, and for awhile worked as a railroad engineer. It was during that time that a fellow engineer drove his train through a house. �Norm Weis ^^is story called for a new fill of tobacco and three kitchen matches to get it fired properly. Talking through clenched teeth, and with an "old country*^accent, Charlie began his story. the engineer of a long train about miles outa here, near the town of Mina. on a sidetrack. Had about 150 cars Goldfield said they would send help, another engine, and two guys to help me out. 3:30 _A.M. wi They came puffing in at banging all Over the engine, and parts of a porch stuck on the headlight. It seems the two guys fell asleep on the way and didn^ wake up ^^il they ran through the house. The house had been moved to a spot by the tracks, ready to be loaded and relocated. Seems the wind blew the house onto the tracks, just in time for the engine to smack it dead center.W [c^rlie struck another match and continued. V%he engineer lost his leg when lumber flew through the cab. And lost his job when the boss caught up with him?^ ^Charlie Cecchini must be pushing eighty by now. I hope he is still puffing away and telling those grand S stories through clenched teeth. �GPaazTS ViLLfc XOAJE^ - (^mewhere north of Tonopah and east of the highway, an old road winds its way to three little ghost towns. Berlin, and Grantsville. Ione had an old log building Ione, with r-s �Txfo-stORY O/JTHOUSE^^ Norm Weis a fine sod roof that sprouted a tall crop of shady greenery. Just south, the remains of the old Berlin Mill were now sur­ rounded by the grounds of Ichthyosaur State Park. / Grantsville, the only town of the three that captured —5— S' my attention, was qiiifr^ obviously named after General,Grant. It A was located at the head of Grailsville Canyon, with Grantsville Ridge on one side and S^rman Hill on the other. The town’s sympathies were blatantin</ few rebel sympathizers ever ad­ mitted their preference. fAn old mill, a blown safe, a brick school, and a nui^er of shacks sat of town. the west sod- rooMrock house and ones half of an adobe outhouse made up I A the remainder of what was once the largest town in the area. .^he air rock residence had stood for more than -US o- years, to its stout construction. The roof ridge was a -i-bJeloe. timber, as was the rather unnecessary center pole. ' (2.3 The little adobe outhouse was of equal strength,^ evidenced by the fact that it still stood firm^P^-t despite the loss by vandalism of two of its walls. The roof was intact, extending outward in cantilever fashion, and extend- Ing three feet above the roof, the cesspool ventilator still delivered untoward odors to the passing breeze. UiSif. ^^ost towns when an oldrtimer still sits in residence. cinating. can be fas- when two bachelor brothers hold down the remains, it can be hilarious. J. , I Tfoeloe — bt -A �THOUSE Norm Weis ^uch was the case several hundred miles northeast of Reno, near the Rye Patch Reservoir, where Bill and Tom James guard the history of Humbolt Town and Humbolt House.) ■ ■ ■ -- —— ---were seventy and seventy-four years ^f mgr when I visited them a few years ago, but spry as fifty, and as full of the devil as a pair of teenagers. ^When I first asked their names, they answered 3^ and^'m 1%. - Tom James. in turn, T. Their formality belied their sincere hospitality. They loved history^ijaa^^njoyed recounting stories, and had pat answers for the most obvious questions. are no relation to the James boys -- Jesse and I--the gang, but our grandfather once provided a hideout for [ As to the old town of Humbolt, they had no first' hand information, but talked to Charlie Owens, the first resident of Humbolt, and could tell me what Charlie had said. Bill led off. ^sjbld Charlie was eighty in 1920. the town a highly tooted place. He always called They mined silver there -- began in 1860, when Charlie was sixteen, then got to be a real town in Tom listened carefully, and lent support with a nod of the head. ere was more than a hundred buildings up there long oner's still there -- the old Wells-^Fargo Bank -- but K -98- �T^=sf0RY OjStHOU^ Norm Weis harlie says fifteen of^/em was whorehouses, three saloons^ Said there was ( I asked if there were aMy churches or schools. Tom shook his head as Bill continued. V€harlie never ^/Course he was pretty old^^ mentioned any. ^Bill paused, thinking, then cracked a broad grin and told about the famous gunfight the way old Charlie had told it to him. (j^hree guys in the saloon was arguing, and they got kinda mad about it. They all had cap and ball Colts in their belts, and pretty soon their hands were edgi^ toward the handles. Everyone but the three angry guys hit the deck or ran outsideSZ Bilf^ eyes started sparkling as he recalled the good part of the story. harlie says one man went right over the top of d him, goddam sunabitch, he wasn'^t just a running, he was flyiniXk' / Now Bill'^ voice lias gone up a notch, and Tom is leaning forward as if he had never heard the story before. I^^lam, Blam, Blam ” and then it went awful quiet! The room was full of smoke from the black powder, but when it cleared, here come more bystanders, crawlin out, and inside, all three of those guys was deadiXy |The James boys keep a neat house and yard, although the yard is full of remnants of their considerable past. r �Norm weis ■ho An old grease rack was builtservice their 1915 Ford truck that they bought in 1938 for five bucks. When it broke down, they tore out the engine and the sawmill ax' that stands off to the side. They owned a ntamber of Modelpl'^s apparently storing the old ones as they bought new ones. , Recently, they sold the old wrecks off. VXSot . , for the last one^V^ says Bill. fAn old wooden propeller, bolted to one of the out buildings raised my curiosity. Bill was pleased I had noticed ^J^rom a Dehaviland J^il /lane. Used to come over ( here before we built the place -- started in 1919, always flew M two-wingers. Wouldn't trust those single'^v/ingersTom silently agreed, then pointed north as Bill continued. e a schoolhouse up north aways. Mail lavilands would come down and fly low right over the school. Kids would all flood out and wave. r. the pilots was killed in a crash, and another pilot/ — H I guess it was his friend, flew over to drop a wreath, and he crashed tocC!^^ A few years after my visit with the James boys. I flew my newly completed red and white biplane down the right * �side of the railroad track on my way to the Reno National Air Races. I roared over the James boys''^^place, then circled about and waved from the open cockpit. Down below, two figures stepped out of the house and waved back. _ ___________________________________ ___________ /( �Norm Weis If a twoxstory outhouse existed in California, it would probably be high up at the head waters of some gold- bearing creek. I traveled up the Trinity, down the Trinity, up the Klamath, the Salmon, and numerous small streams^where- There were countless small towns •^2 with neither spectacular outhouses memorable stories. I'm ever a road granted access. not even sure I could find the towns again. Places like Calahan and Cecilville fade into obscurity, but Johnsville was memo­ rable . /Once called Jamison, the town of Johnsville, now protected by the boundaries of Plumas Eureka State Park, lies ninety miles as the crow flies north. and a bit east of Sacrament<^ Cnlifornia to 1890, Johnsville was a �O0THOui^ CNorm wZia:; noted gold mining town, but as the ore pinched out, recrea­ tional skiing took its place. In fact, skiing, called snow' shoeing at the time, became popular in 1869, causing most historians to consider the slopes along Jamison Creek to be the birthplace of recreational skiing^ 1^ • J^acer gold was found in the creek in 1850, but soon after, prospectors found the hard rock mother lodes on the slopes above. During the next twenty years, numerous min­ ing operations were developed, capitalized, sold, and resold. None seem^i^ have been operated efficiently. In 1872, English interests bought up most of the mines and created an order^, money=making operation. The superintendent of operations was named William Johns, so the new town, built to replace .Tami snn Town, took~thc tibtie of Johnsville. f ^^t the peak of operations, the largest mill ran / sixty stamps, processing 150 tons of ore per day, from which / in bullion was claimed <V<rM r '---- - \ Also, three^hile^or'^hi 11/wheels ground lesser amounts of ore. Each **^eel”"^as a pair of nine-foot^iameter, two=footsthick granite rollers that wheeled about like two unicyclistsV arms locked, peddling in opposite directions. ^now fell seven months of the year, and to deliver ore, snow sheds were constructed over ore car tracks, or tramways were built to connect mine and mill. Perhaps it was the 2 �TWO=S Norm Weis resence of the tramways that brought about the popularity of snowshoeing. Miners could sling their twelve«-foot'^hoes^ . A over their shoulders and hitch a ride up the hill on one of the three tramways, then ski down and do it again. Two of Ti'ffeftO heuodwee# the tramways were more than feet long. ^^^_^creational enthusiasts once claimed fights were the most popular endeavor, followed by women, then fights over women, jumping, foot races, and snowshoeing. But after the tr^ms were built, the preference was reversed. /In 1869, flyers advertisedY'Four Days of Snowshoe Races, and a Grand Ball on St. Patricl^ Night" ^That was only the beginning. In 1871, a reporter described the races, as later published in the Plumas County Hi^orical SocietyV^\ytlumas Memories.V/ 2^2’77**!^ event was a snow-shoe race of three miles, for a purse of two hundred dollars, the contestants being four of our citizens, viz: Mr. Chris Kennan, wearing of the gree^ Mr. Frank Surratt, with scarlet colors, against Mr. Louis Christopher, with crimson, and Mr. Chase; Hanson, in blue, the citizens making a purse in addition,' of fifty dollars, to be given to the second man in,7^^^Ji_ -X..”At^he signal all started in fine style, Kennan and Surratt gaining rapidly for about a thousand yards, when Surratt, in passing a tree, broke a shoe and came down, Ke^an running upon him and also coming down, with a ^noe broken. Hanson added his body to the pyramid, but was soon on his shoes again, while Christopher steer­ ed c/e<ir, and for a moment had the race all to himself; but Hanson soon came up to him upon a steep pitch, and the two came between the poles, Christopher in ten and a half minutes, and Hanson fifteen seconds later, win­ ning both purses.*~-C_ �Norm Weis Experts, who were upon the ground, say that with shoes and snow both in excellent order, the distance could be made in seven minutes. The snow, yesterday, was too e^an and Surratt, Although defeated, are not di smayed, rfd challenge any parties living in the Jamison Mining District to a race over the same course for any sum’', from $250 to .^500 a side^r^T*—>— yirT 1872, the race course was shortened to 1676 feet, matching the length of one tramway. lonald led off, gaining forty feet on his competitor, but in crossing the flat Hanson came up finely, and at~~~~~~ forty feet from the outcome one of his shoes passed be­ tween those of McDonald, and of course it was all up with Hanson. Here Hanson made a pass with his pole at the shoes of his opponent, but punched the rider in the head instead, and Me, in return, threw his pole at Hanson who raised up on his shoes to grasp Me by the shoulder, losing his balance and going between the poles somewhat like a Catharine-wheel in a Fourth of July p — ^celebration, Mc^winning the purse. Time, 25 seconds. 1^77-- ?*Then came Keenan and John Penman. The start was a good ^ne, but on the turn of the long pitch. Penman inadvert■^ntly permitted the point of his pole to touch, which caused it to fly from his grasp, hitting him a hard blow on the back of his head, with force enough to send the pole flying twenty feet into the air. This stagger^^ him for an instant and caused him to run wide, and lose about forty feet, but recovering his position he came in splendidly, jjnly four feet behind his opponent. Time, 24 seconds.. q ^n the small museum near the old Moi>awk Mill, one can see some of the ten=^foot and twelvej=foot skis used by the old-time snowshoers, and read about the deeds of the most A n famous skier of the time, S^ow Shoe Tompson. For five years. Snow Shoe skied the mail from Placerville to Genoa and back, '— �-taking fifteen days for each round trip, a feat that would be hard to duplicate today. Rown_hill and southwest of Johnsville, in much gentler clime, one of the early settle?^ most spectacular after more than'^fi^ years ' of continuous use. It is^the world^s longest wooden covered bridge, with a free span of 230 feet. I had driven its length some years earlier, and being in the vicinity, I wished to drive within its shadowed timbers once more in celebration of man'^ engineering skills. alas, a new concrete bridge, shortly upstream, had replaced the old wooden structure, and the covered bridge was closed to traffic. Reinforcements and supporting pillars had been added, some of which seemed poorly designed, and almost guaranteed to wipe out the bridge should high water cause debris to gather. . VI clE’ --- ^_During my wanderings in the California 'putback, I stumbled upon a combination of enterprises quite new and unexpected. It was a small country store with a cafe in the back that served as a bar in the evenings. -106- �J^^S'/'ORY O^THOUSE^T" orm Weis few days later, I had breakfast in Bill -^Bull^ I Meek’s place in Camptonville, and it was an order of magnitude beyond. Beyond what? Well, beyond strangeness is the best way to put it -- and I guess you would have to understand the Clampers to really know the meaning of **s^ange.**^^Bill Meek was a Head Humbug of the E. Clampus Vitus organization. and his outlook on life could be seen in his unique store. The front of the large two=story building was mostly grocery store. A cubicle on the left enclosed the Justice Court, and was occupied by Meek's grandson, Acton Cleveland. In the back, a heavy-duty bar stretched across the width of the building. To the side were three refrig­ erators filled with beer, and in the corner leaned a base^^^^ ball bat and an axe-^andle. I was A.M. and the man cooking my breakfast alternated between sucking on a cigar and sipping a beer. Somewhere a juke box was ruling on low. Two unshaven characters entered on a zigzag course, bumped into me and apologized. The cook eyed them carefully, then checked the comer to see that the weapons were handy. arguing heavily. The two sat down, The cook reached under the cash register, grabbed a billy club and slammed it on the counter, eyed the two men and asked, V^ould you gentlemen care to order^'JX^ �Norm Wei^ was originally a gold mining town, catering to the needs of the placermen, and later the hydraulickers. Town was moved twice to permit sluicing the land for gold. At its peak, there were more than people, and thirty stores, hotels and saloons, stretched out on both sides of a mile=long plank road. Later, when the gold was gone, the town dwindled, but survived on the logging industry. [The old country store had been burned to the ground and rebuilt twice, the last time with concrete blocks. Even that building burned down recently, and its customers were taken over by the bar across the street. ^uch of the town's history is tied in with the strange group mentioned earlier -- the ^^'^?~Clampus Vitus H which in Latin means something like'^from darkness to light The Clampers, as described by one of their own members, were a bunch of horse^laying, jackass-braying men dedicated to the burlesque of all secret societies, and to the preservation of the belly laugh and heavy drinking. It was charitable on occasion, always claiming to help widows and orphans, mostly the former. They believed in exercising reverence for womanhood, even while in pursuit. -108- �o/jTHOUSE Norm Weis 9 ^^teetings were held anywhere, preferably in bars, if outside, the meeting p^Lace was called the **§^1 but of Comparative Oration.**'^^hey proved that men will be boys! I The society began in West Virginia as a hoax and a joke, and traveled^West, gathering mystique on the way. Joe Zumwalt carried the idea to California, and the garb he habitually wore became the ‘"uniform of future Clampers. Joe wore long red-flannel underwear, no shirt, a rope belt. dungarees, old boots. and a plug hat. Heading parades as the Grand Humbug, he also carried a ten=foot staff with a phallic symbol on top. t sometimes nightly -- or d whenever a few new conscripts could be conned into joining. The fee varied from nothing to X)half of what you have.\X Initiates were blindfolded, stripped to their long underwear. smeared with cream or butter, or whatever could be found, then paraded down the street. Once accepted, they had the honor of buying drinks for older members for the balance of the evening, and sometimes part of the next day. The ClaiBpere^caiTied out some worthwhile projects, such as designating the long covered bridge on the Tuba as a National Histoid.c Civil Engineering landmark. They also placed a plaque honoring Lester Allen Pelton, inventor of the Pelton ^i^eel. This wheel enabled water to be used efficiently to power such things as 8ta^> mills. �Norm Wei^ uii WiL ¥ CoPt "Forty miles east of Baker, Oregon, at the little town of Halfway, a road exits to the left and soon becomes a climbing windlp;gravel road reaching into the Wallowa Mountains, ending at the old mining town of Cornucopia. good prospect for a tall outhouse, It was a to its altitude, but a search of the town revealed no such structure. I would have crossed it off my list as a failure had I not been taken with the beautiful architecture and excellent workmanship evident in the construction of some of the buildings. Two old homes were particularly beautiful, with vaulted roof lines, fancy windows, arched balconies, and nicely angled staircases. , Even ^0^ l^f some of the old tumbled and tom wrecks seemed to take on a noble character as they leaned into the elements and fought the good fight against the inevitable tug of gravity. ^Jfeny of the buildings were built during the first boom in 1884, when the population peaked at ab^t All had high=peaked roofs to shed the heavy snowfall that often exceeded twenty=four feet. Roads became snowpacked to a depth of eight feet, and stage coaches ran on sled runners instead of wheels. It was a cold place in the winter, and cold all year round in some of the mines. (rhe names of some of the claims indicate the -—> 4 �:^j^O=--stORY O0THOUSE^^ Wej^ ■natui^e of the weather and the climate down the shafts and tunnels. V)41askaJ4i*^'^fcH(BSBil^®i^^^an Winkleand '^ruin^ were a few. Extensive remains of one of these mines can be found at the edge of town. Most of the buildings are intact, including a structure at the mine entranc^p On thi tracks exiting the mine are a dozen side-tipping ore cars, a personnel car, and an old rusty engine. Considerable water flows from the mine opening and becomes a good-sized creek that flows through town. Stepping into the mouth of the tunnel, one is met by a blast of cold air. ply A short distance from the tunnel, a large twox story building served as a bunkhouse for unmarried miners. It had six rooms upstairs and four down* with n. central htuH. recreation room a large stove in the middle, the building\j4 only source of heat. / A small building next door holds an old wagon bed equipped with ten-foot runners, making this a sled shed. A Next door is the old mine office, plastered with maps and complete with receipts from 1940, obviously the date of the last mining effort. I One of the rooms in the min© office had a door somewhat shorter than norma^^ ^rf^oh opened to a throne room complete with elevated floor and John. It was'Sir John -—- \D �Norm Wei Harrington that gave the yohn^its name, just as Sir Thomas Crapper provided us with XXcrappei^V' two inventors U"? .seldom given credit for their widely used creations. c STEA D I^^opping down out of the mountains, I took a left at Halfway and headed for the Snake River and the town of Homestead. My topographic maps and outdated maps of mining districts had revealed dozens of likely towns. Any town that looked like a going concern on an old map, and is barely indicated, or better yet, missing entirely on new maps, was the sort of place I wanted to have a look at. f ^ost such towns had kept up with the times, destroying old buildings and replacing them with new struck "tures which, of course, were built with no thought of outhouses or the preservation of history. / Homestead was an exception. Located on the con­ fluence of Pine Creek and the Snake River, at the lower end of Oxbow Lake, this mining remr^nt had two old but well kept homes, and dozens of old weathered buildings jjp just the type of installation that I enjoyed. Nosing about the buildings, 5 I could deduce their past rol£, perhaps gain an idea of what brought iX into exist^nc^/Xand what caused 3^ demise. [One old building looked like a school, and indeed dale still had slates on the walls. Checking the copyright on some old books indicated the school probably closed in the forties Me �C~Norni Weis ITHOUSE On a shelf in the coal house behind the school, I found a I stood there, with two cameras slung about 1931 reader. my neck, scanning the old book, when the elderly caretaker confronted me. ^The caretaker wasn’t sure what he should me. do with He looked me over, eyed the cameras, and told me not to take anything. I agreed, and we went our separate ways. ^n old road led up the hill a short distance to ne and mill. Bits of blue rock were scattered throughout the waste dump, indicating copper was mined at one time. The place was littered with old machineryy^ belt^ jit the mine opening, a number of ore cars sat on a short stretch of rails, resting on rotted ties. An old ledger showed the nameV^fron Dyke Mineand listed the assay on one shipment. The ore was heavy in copper and contained a small amount of gold. / I returned to the largest building in what must have been a company town. It was over feet long, perhaps half as wide, and had a broad covered porch running its full length. Peeking through the windows, I could see dining halls. pastime rooms, and a large kitchen. Reaching the end of the large building'^, I was surprised to find it was joined to another building of similar size and construction. me where nearby I could hear voices voices, raised to overcome impaired hearing. -113- loud �TJ^S^ORY O^THOUS ^^ell, if you caught him in the school, why didn^t you throw him out^^^ XXjell, I ragged him a while, then told him not to steal anything.V /Obviously the two gentlemen were hired as care^ takers, and probably lived in the two wellVkept homes along the row. It wouldn't do to leave them in doubt. I found them just around the corner, and turning up my volume, I let them know that I was about to leave the place. They relaxed, their problem solved, even seemed friendly. Indeed, they supplied answers to all my questions. j ( <0 rag. u-Zi 3 redJ [The place once held families, and enough single miners to fill both dormitories. The original claim was made in 1890, but the mining hit its peak 1915 1918, then again from 1925 to 1927, but most of the mines closed in 1942. That\% when the school locked its doors. ^ore than 150 men worked in the Iron Dyke Mine alone, and some mining was carried out there until 1952. The company provided its workers with two stores/^nd a choice of several saloons! ^The entire operation was presently owned by the Butler Ore Company, the employer of the two caretakers. offered them a cup of coffee out of my thermos, or a beer from the ice-^ox, but was politely refused. Ob­ viously that would be exceeding the bounds of proper �(^jrj^°s/ORY O^HOUSE Norm Wei behavior for caretakers charged with protecting the grounds from the likes of me. -US’- �Norm Weis X VJA^LLX\CE Ti>aH0 ANO z -For the past few monthsI traveled, someone always suggested I visit Silver City, Idaho. A few ' folk had suggested the area north of Kello^ and Wallace, Idaho. Again, planning to save the best for last, I headed north into the panhandle of Idaho to have a look at the area near Wallace. ^After a while, driving becomejrote/ and a persoii^ mind tends to wander. I recalled the various reactions that followed my many inquiries concerning two^story outhouses. Most people were dumbfounded, tending to sputter out some sort of stalling answer, waiting for a punchline or an explanation. In Montana and Wyoming there was occasional understanding, and often there were apologies that the structures had all disappeared. �prtn Weis^ In Texas they said,X>(jhat?V But In Crested Butte, Colorado, when asked about two=story outhouses, they assumed that you needed to use it! I wondered what the reaction would be in Idaho. [_Wallace, located at the east end of\Xjilver Valley is a town of about 2^1100 people, and likes to be known as '^y^he Home of the Silver Dollar^^ ItVs the headquarters for a number of mining and smelting companies. and has the gray sooty look of a town long in the mining and smelting business. ^The museum in Wallace had a number of excellent ore samples, old photographs, and booklets telling of the long=lasting union wars that racked the community. ^rom Wallace, a number of roads radiated outward like the spines of a spidei^^s web, reaching upward along various creeks and gulches. I drove up Nine Mile Road to Delta, then cut over the hill east to the marvelous old town of Murray. The town was full of history^ old buildings, few J <^^4 '' people! ^^pjEt no tall outhouses. Everyone said, '^’^go to Burke ^_I_ returned to Wallace and took the Canyon Creek Road, passing through a nearly‘continuous series of mines, smelters, and small settlements. Gem blended with Black Bear, which gave way to Mace, and became Burke. Along the way I drove a road that also made up the bed of two railroads. the‘^Northern Pacific**and the **bregon Washington**^ lines. �Tii^o=s'/^ oi/thoube^^ Norm Weis Beneath the concrete surface ran the waters of Canyon Creek. I would sonn learn that Canyon Creek was not the proper name for the ^reek in this locality, but Ripley's claim that this was the only place in the world where the railroad, the creek and the road occupied the same space, was thor'^Mghly evident. In fact, I would find another category < that could be added to Ripley's claim, get K E It was late afternoon, and the only establishment open in the little town of Burke was a bar crowded between the road, railroad, creek, and the rising ground behind. I entered, and soon became educated to the local ways and local terminology. ^^fter ordering a sandwich at the bar, I spread out an old 1901 topographic mining map of the area. Old maps tend to attract a certain type of on^lookers -- those interested in history, and willing to share their interest. was the barmaid. This time it She left the bar and took up a position where she could read the map over my shoulder. [ I took the cue and asked her if there were any two-story outhouses in the was the reply, XyAt least there was one behind the Sweets Hotel up S^^<Creek aways.Xy out the creek on the map. ‘^ays here the stream is unexpected. 9 vtoTCT �Norm Weis Come here — look at this map. They got the name of Creek wrong. You ever hear it called Canyon Creek)^ [joe ^swered from across the room. \AHell, no. ItVs always been 'Slr^t Creek — long as I can remember, J^Jhat particular four= letter word had never been in my mixed company repertoire, and I was slightly embar'^ <assed to hear it shouted about. I expected every head in the place to swivel in my direction in mild disapproval. But There were overhangers, trestle jobs, creek straddlers, and a small tributary called George GulchJ^^I wasn't about to ask the local name^^^V^ "t/iere was a bridge^outhouse combina­ tion. I had thought I knew it all when it came to unusual outhouses, but the bridge combo was new and fascinating. [The bridge was wood, a single span of about twenty feet, wide enough for one car/^nd two outhouses, that joined in the center to become one long structure accessed by two doors. The road crossing the bridge led to two unpainted homes, and the outhouses were no doubt a part of the property. �TJ$0-s/0RY OJ^THOUSeJ^^ Norm Weis I photographed the structure from all angles, noting that the sun was at the wrong angle. I would have to return for the morning light. I There was a nice place to pull off and camp a few miles up the main creek, just above the intake for the towii^s water supply. A sign nearby prohibited construction of any buildings ^(•meaning outhouses in particular)^ upstream from that point. I I dug out my maps and pamphlets pertinent to the area and spent the evening learning about the year mining effort in Silver Valley. [rhe 1901 map showed a number of mines that are not indicated on later maps. Obviously those mines were short-lived. The 1939 and 1957 maps indicated that Dorn A split off from Black Bear, then both faded into their neighbors, and^Frisco was bom near Gem. The Oregon Washing­ ton ^ine changed to the Pacific, and the town of Burke A grew another half mile up what all three maps referred to as Canyon Creek. ^bove Burke were the Tigerj^Poorman Mine, the Her­ cules, Tamarack, Custer, and Neversweat Mines. / Gold had been found in the area i^t 1860, but large-scale mining did not occur until the 1880*^ In 1892, the A fights between mine ow/jers and organized miners began. '\ �<^^2^Norm Wei^^ ^O=STORY 0 y^The first battle resulted in sixteen wounded and five dead before the Army was called in. But the miners^ union had a foothold. Dissatisfaction with working conditions continued for several years, and another war broke out in 1899. Over Oic IQQQ miners comandeered a train, loaded it with dynamite, and forced the engineer to drive it west to Kello^. They parked the train under the Bunker Hill Mill and set it off! Two men were killed by gunfire, and the y^rmy returned to restore order. More than miners were arrested. y^lowly the gold gave out, and zinc, silver, and lead became the production metals. Lead refining in the valley its own slow insidious cunfldQ TTie acciden­ tal target was the health of the populace, primarily the children. Lead poisoning had been discounted for years until it was found that the children in the schools had a high lead content in their blood. This caused damage to the nervous system. next morning I headed down the valley, cameras loaded and ready. Most of the homes along the creek had ex­ tensions that hung over the creek, or outbuildings that straddled the creek. Later, I learned that a whorehouse once stood on -121- �(Tj^S/^ORY O^HOU^^ C^orm Weis J the creek bank, and a level catwalk extended to an outhouse that stood over the creek on twenty^foot stilts. It was an older gentleman from Northport that told me about it. sed to go to work in the morning shift, ^out four in the morning — still kinda dark. That^s when the gals were finished working and doin^ their chores out back. We used to applaud each one when they walked the catwalk back of the cathouse. Sometimes they^ take a bow. We applauded everything, including the sound effects.^ ^He looked at me carefully, and watched me take notes. f^ell ya who ya ought to talk to about them gals.'^y He paused. X^o -- No -- I wori^t give the old sTd?B. the M H satisfaction.^ (The light was right, and I returned to the bridge- A outhouse for more photographs. The resident of one of the homes watched me from his window. write in my notebook. He saw me snap photos, then Soon he came to the conclusion that I was a government man gathering evidence, probably a member of the hated Environmental Protection Agency. I He rushed out of the door, ran to the bridge and hollered, XjHje don’t use it anymor^-^-^'^a hear^ —*^e ain't used it for more'n a year!'^ Driving south, headed for Silver City, I passed •—' -122- �Norm Wei through a number of towns that looked great on the old maps, but none of them suited my purpose. Near Idaho City, I detoured to the remains of the Golden Age Camp to see little outhouse with the big sign over the door still survived It did -- the sign read.'«6AIN ENTRANCE .V/ -- —- K ’/Silver City is most easily reached via Jordan Valley, Oregon. A more challenging entrance is by way of the twenty^two=mile lumpy gravel road from State Highway 45, Either way, the town is well worth visitin ove. more than seventy buildings still intact. south of Boise. I / The old War Eagle Hotel had a very tall two^ story outhouse, but hotel and house burned down some years ago. However, a large number of tall specimens are still in action. ^^e Masonic /all, once a wood milling shop, built astraddle Jordan Creek, has two outhouses attached to the flank So as to drop deposits directly into the creek, bt A city ordinance later probated its use except during flood stage, at which time it was recommended that all daf>£>^ic:s trash be thrown in the creek, an<Jz\all eart&losets be shoveled out and disposed of the same way. huge annual flushing -123- Sort of a f �Tj^O^SyORY outhouse: Norm Weis 1866, the big town in the area was Ruby City,’ o-fJ Co- wTthTaTmost a thousand people. The first winter, snow drifted so badly that some folk moved a mile south, upstream, to a more sheltered spot. Within two years, everyone had skidded their homes and stores, with the aid of sled runners and oxen. to the new site, and Silver City was bom. I’^T^ Waye''*'^^s published as the town’s first paper. paper. At its peak, with somewhere between and 5^1^ population, the town had six stores, two hotels, a brewery,, nine saloons, six of which were known to be Hurdy Gurdys. The Hurdy Gurdy joints stood in a row and became known as^^irgin's Alley .MX ^bout this time, two prospectors filed a claim on a prospect later to be called the Poorman Mine. Then another man claimed an outcrop of the same vein about feet away. He was challenged by the original claimants, then ousted by a third group promptly built a fort at the tunnel en­ trance. They called it ‘*Fort Baker’’^ and held off any claim jumpers. Later, all the purported owners sold out, and the worth of gold and new owners promptly took out silver. The Oro Fino Mine was so rich that the ore could -124- �Norm Weis ORY OUTHOUSE be crushed by sledge and panned by hand. Its ore ran more ^ost of the ore was very rich and easily processed. Four stamp mills in town had only a total of fifty stamps, yet <2 —— kv> 1111 o m tjJ 0.5 nearly $40^s&^^^in valuable metals wexB taken from the area, making the Silver City Lode second only to the Comstock in Nevada. fining slacked off in the^O^, then surged again in 1930. Silver City lost its place as ^^iounty ^eat in 1934, and by 1944 only one man, Willie Hawes^as left in town. <•0 c J I , was responsible for the Willie, townVs preservation during the twenty^some years that Silver City had become a ghost. ^ilver City's history was marked by several large* scale shoot-outs. When a dispute over claim boundaries could not be resolved, each side hired gun^slicks. The Golden Chariot Mine crew attacked the Ida Elmore group, and fought a gun battle for three days. Many were wounded, but only two were killed -- one from each side -- before the /avalry M arrived to break it up. The fight was revived in town, and two more were killed. The gun fight occurred near the Idaho Hotel, which stands today very much as it did in the 186(V^^ Three stories I3 tall, and full of small rooms crowded with furniture, it the prize tourist spot in town. Where rooms once were �^ORY ofaHOUSEgX Norm Wej^ a night, and fire in the room was extra, you can now take a guided tour of the ^otel for a similar fee. Ed Jagels, of Murphy, Idaho, the present owner and proprietor, escorts hundreds of visitors through the 1 the ^otel each season. int±[Tl~ttrc hallways of He*^ full of stories about the town. One of his favorites deals with the hanging of 1881. When Henry McDonald was found guilty of murder and sentenced to hang, one of the stores in town prepared for the big event by preparing a Vlftangman'^s Special LunctX It was raining when they hauled McDonald to the scaffold, On the way, a youngster ran^,slipping and sliding Jpast the death wagon. L^Goiri^ somewhereasked McDonald. /The youngsterZ/'A^^/tW/there was was hurry, son — won'^ be much doin^ till I get therereplied McDonald. father Nattini and the sheriff soon led Henry McDonald up the steps to the platform and centered him over the trap door. The death warrant was read to the victim, his hands were tied, and his head covered with a hood. I At 1:54 the trap was sprung, and l/v\G.5Se. nesses left opjj^taes for the saloons. ' j wit- �Cj^rm WeiJ^ XI M I f\J G 0^3 M £ When the price of gasoline rose above a buck a gallon, I cut my travels short until the billfold shock slowly wore off. As a result, I learned a great deal more about Wyoming. History is close to the surface in my home state. It was here that Jim Bridger hunted, guided, told his lies, and built his fort. Here the Union Pacific cut its ties and forged a path from ^ast to west. in turn receiving title to twenty sections of land for every mile of track laid. And just twenty miles north of my home, the Teapot Dome scandal took place. [when I first visited the Naval Reserve No. 3, called Teapot Dome, I had no idea that- a town named Teapot ever existed, but the remains were there -- a few old buildings. the remnants of streets, and a grand old water tank. Although chipped by wind-blown gravel / and badly rusted, the name -—\ / �Norm Weis teapot, Wyomlnjg^ and -febo=wwis'^ater Supply</are still quite legible. Just why a water tank would be painted so grandly became clear when I learned the history of the town and the scandal. It would appear that a scam and a scandal were underway at the same time. Way back in 1873, a Wyoming historian named Hunton, made the journey north from Fort Caspar to investigate rumors of X^6ily dirt.X/ An Indian guided him and helped him scrape some heavy oil into a container. They ha4 collected almost a quart of V^greas^when hostile Indians chased them / off. / [__Many years later, the undergroundj dome-shaped trap was tapped, and in 1920 the dome was declared a ^ay<l jZ^il eserve. About this time. President Harding appointed Albert as Bacon Fall, formerly a senator from New Mexico, the pcoitioi W^ecretary of interior. In 1922, Secretary Fall contacted Harry Sinclair, president of Mammoth Oil Company, and after receiving $198^8® in bribes, secretly leased the Teapot Dome to Sinclair. Later, Fall conned Sinclair out of another then $10^9® more, and yet another $257^^^ It bordered on blackmail. At the same time, the Teapot Development Company erected the water tank, painted it up fancy, and marked off 1,040 town lots^; -S^^ere sold thp f i rat day, and in three �gjfcs'j^ORY OI^THOUSeTT" CZNorm Wei^ months, 903 had been purchased. A store was built, but few lot owners built, preferring to sit on their deeds, hoping that oil rights went with the lots. ^^Hien the scandal broke, the town died, if indeed it had ever lived. None of the lot owners profited, but Sinclair and Fall did quite well. ^J^e trial was to take over six years. Several majority stockholders of other oil companies adjourned to France, one for twenty^five years, another for the rest of his life. There were two civil suits, two contempt cases, and eight criminal trials. Harry Sinclair was sentenced to three months in jail for refusing to testify and for jury tampering. Former Secretary Fall was convicted of accepting a bribe, and sentenced to one year in jail not a bad deal, since he had received more than $400^^®" for his complicity. The Teapot Dome Scandal was only a momentary set^ back for Sinclair and his oil company. Soon, exploration crews found a number of oil fields, and pipelines laced their -S 1'25 way across the ^tate connecting wel^ to refinery. ^lon^ one of those pipelines , in 1923, a pumping station was built to hasten the flow along, and around that station a small town grew. Residents called it Ferris others called it "Ferris Dome," or just Ferris.**”^ To the Sine ompany it was "Station Three,’ �TWO Norm Weis but whatever its name, it was built in the most hostile spot in the ^tate. ^2^cated just south of the Ferris Mountains, and west of the Seminoe Mountains, amid the sand dunes of the high plains desert, the town suffered from low temperatures and high windsM/)e/ damnable sand dunes continually crawled into town, covering fences, crowding houses, and requiring the constant attention of bulldozers. Airborne sand filtered into every nook and cranny. even piling up in attic spaces to such an extent that ceilings collapsed on dining room tables and carpeted living rooms. The Sinclair )^ompany spent thousands of dollars vacuuming every attic in town on a rotating basis. Finally the sand and wind won the battle. the town was abandoned. In 1949 One recluse remained until 1958, and now the buildings are slowly being covered with sand. Some local ranchers are Xjliberatin^i^ the lumber from the buildings before they are buried forever. --- Fifty miles north, tucked into the south end of �^=S'f:ORY O^THOUSE^^ Norm Weis Pedro Mountains, there is a delightful little pocket of greenery traced through by a small stream of clear cold water. Sagebrush grows twelve feet tall, and cottonwoods soar above. [This was one of the favorite spots of an Indian tribe that lived in the Pedros. They were an isolated tribe and had little contact with other Indians. In the late ISSOj^f^they were crowded out by the ^ite ^n^s incursions, but they left behind a n^mento that would cause great confu­ sion and speculation. Two prospectors found a deposit of graphite above the green glade, and claimed it under the name ^^^be Ninety- Six Graphite Mine.””^They dug into the mountain fifty feet or so, then slanted downward, hoping in vain that the vein would richen and thicken. Their efforts failed, and others tried their luck. Traces of gold were found, but nothing of value was uncovered/^ntil one blast opened up an old cave that held the mystery left by the Indians. [on a narrow shelf, high on the side of the cave, was found the tiny mummified body of a human being. He was fourteen inches tall, badly wrinkled, and with a head that lopped over as a beret might fall to one side of a manVs head The mummy was put on display, fees charged, and soon �"became the only profitable item to be Wiinec^</ from the Pedros. ^^Occasionally the mummy was permitted examination by experts, and some not so expert. The results were dis­ appointing to the displayers, and they chose to include in their brochures only those few explanations that made the mummy out to be the remains of a midget Indian. Probably a member of a midget tribe, they claimed. They called it the ’^Attle Man,**^nd the ’*01d Ninety-Six Graphite Mine,'**^nd every mine within ten miles became the **tAttle Man Mine.**^ f Writers perpetuated the mystery, making hay from the story, I just as the carnival folk made money displaying the remains for the price of a ticket. The legend grew. The truth is less exciting. One of the first to examine the mummy was Dr. Whiston, a Casper^Wyoming bone specialist. Fromays and a general examination, he stated the mummy was the remains of a malformed Indian child, probably the result of ii^reeding. The skull was incomplete, allowing the brain to lop over, a rare, but a defect was always fatal soon after birth. birth defect. Such Very likely the mother of the malformed infant lovingly placed her child on the high ledge in the cave, then closed the opening with rock. Time and dry air aged the child. The wrinkles and a little imagination created the legend of Little Man, ”'^^nd an entire race of pygmy Indians. �Rock At the turn of the century, when Cattle Kate left Rawlins and homesteaded a small spread on the Oregon Trail near Independence Rock, a series of events were set in motion that would rock the ^tate, and ultimately cost he^life and that of her friend, Jim Averill. ^J^te had a reputation for trading personal favors, and seemed to have a working agreement with Averill, who ran a store and saloon situated a mile from KateV/s, near the Sweet Water River. After an evening of boozing it up at Averills, a celebrating cowboy would be pointed in the direction of Kat^<J^ cabin. fee. where he could find satisfaction for a nominal Lacking funds, it became common for cowpokes to trade a maverick calf for Katd^s favors. I 1 A calf a piece, as it were. Soon she became known as'battle KateS^ ^^JCate’s herd grew, and in time the number of cattle -133-3) �exceeded what the nearby ranchers considered a reasonable number of motherless, unbranded critter^^ ^^verill sometimes took calves in trade for merchan­ dise, and added them to Katess herd. Obviously the cowhands considered calves, which they intentionally left unbranded, a sort of fringe benefit. {_When Averill led a movement to prevent ranchers from controlling enormous land areas by what he considered illegal means, the ranchers decided to retaliate. Seven of them stopped by Kate'^ place, intending to teach her a lesson. A fourteen^year^ld lad named Gene Crowder, who had been helping Kate, was taken in tow by the ranchers, for fear he would run for help. They met Jim Averill just leaving his place, and at gun-point loaded him in the wagon with Kate. ^The lad. Gene Crowder, got away in the confusion, ran to Averill'^ home, where he enlisted the help of Frank Buchanan. Frank followed the abductors at a distance and later told his story. He claimed ^.fehey stopped at the river and threatened to drown the two of them. the brag, and called their bluff. Kate wouldn'^t buy They took their hostages on up the river to the top of a small cliff, where they threw a lariat about Jim^s neck, and tied the other end to a tree. They tried to get -134- �Norm him to jump off the cliff —"^e game, go ahe Kate kept dodging the noose they tried to put about her neck, but in the end, she was trussed like Averill. ^Buchanan, figuring it was getting serious, sent a shot their way and galloped off for help. {j^en the posse arrived, both Kate and Jim were dangling at ropd<lZs end, hanging off the edge of the cliff. -ptMg, The ranchers were arrested and pirh~under cto 11cv\J bond. At the inquest, Buchanan told the whole story, naming names/'and offering absolute identification. Several of the ranchers admitted their part in the deed, one claiming they only in­ tended to scare the two VA^stlers.X^ I It looked like an open-and-shut case, but strange '— A A things began to happen. Gene Crowder, the young lad, died of a disease, and Buchanan failed to show up at the trial. He was last seen riding north in a buggy with a new lawyer. Several witnesses to the rancher^^admission^uietly disappeared. ^udge Corn found that the indictment was \?not a true bill,\/and discharged their bonds! ^ine years later, Buchanads/s bones were found north of town, his favorite scarf still tied about the fleshless neck V �of my old maps showed a town named Signor, while a later map listed the same town as Rongis. later map showed both towns, a few miles apart. An even All were located on the old Rawlins-to=Lander stage road, just one ^0 / stop north of the Crooks Gap stage station. It was a puzzle that begged a solution. ^The Crooks Gap ^tation, a small building of huge logs, still monitored the occasional traffic on the dusty stage road. Rongis was likewise deserted. cabin, and a broken=down barn marked the spot. An old Cattle wandered in and out of both buildings, using doorways as rubbing posts. I Ranchers in the area pointed me toward Harold Rogers, ^urator of the Lander ^useum. I^ccording to Harold, a gent by the name of Charlie Fletcher, a traveling gambler, stopped by the small ranch - /34- ' �TWO Norm Weis settlement of Signor and got a poker game started. Thirty:^ six hours later he owned the town and the ranch. He promptly turned the letters about, and renamed his town *^Rongis. Later, Rongis moved two miles to the west, and the old site reverted to "S^nor.**"^^ [^search of old county records turned up another strange name change. When developers bought up the old Ried Road ^anch, just south of Lander, Wyoming, they incorporated the ranch as the town of '^^imbuctoo,''b^hoping the catchy namp would attract attention and enhance sales. It didn't. But the site so that I could claim that I had I been to Timbuctoo and back in my search for rare outhouses and wild stories/ j^ort Washakie was built at a time when Indian uprisings were greatly feared, but its stout rock block^ bJoc^hooit houses were never put to use, except as temporary jails. Today the old cavalry stable is used by the ^tate ^ighway de­ partment* several employees o£ vhieli stoutly claim^is haunted. ^n quiet afternoons, right at quitting time, foot^ steps can be heard coming down the length of the long building. Dogs perk up their ears and whine as they follow the direction of the footsteps. The footfalls are those of a boot-shod cavalryman, and they turn into a small room now �brm Weis used as an office. There, the rocking chair suddenly begins to rock and creak, and dogs leave the room on bent legs with standing hair. (^bviously the story was true, for there was the And the chair? dog, right there by the chair. A rocking f chair, of course/ / (7^ '— ___ pc Jim Bridger built his fortified store in 1842 at the junction of the emigrant trail and th^lack Fork of Green River, in what is now Southwestern Wyoming. He tradedMth trappers, Indians and emigrants with equal favor. ^J^en Morm^’ns settled near Salt Lake/^^d en­ countered Indian resistance, Bridger was blamed for selling KO powder to the hostiles. In 1853, one hundred fifty Mormons in two parties attacked Bridger's fort, forcing him to vacate. A few years later, Bridger visited with President Buchanan and told him of the problem. ^Federal Troops to retake the fort.. Si/ Buchanan sent in They converted it to ht-QOgtrgU a military post, paying Bridger In the per year rent. meantime. Bridger built a ferry across the North Platte River, next to a Mormon ferry. The Mormon ferry let Mormons across 17 �fTHOUSE Norm Weis free, but double charged all others. Bridger charged Mormons double and let all others.cross free. They forced each other out of business. (^2^en the Union Pacific built its tracks past Fort Bridger, a small town sprouted, which continued after the ^ort was abandoned in 1890. However, the real story is not the ^ort, but the life of Jim Bridger. He was one of the WesfVs great characters. in 1804, and orphaned at thirteen, he headed j?est. At eighteen, he joined Ashley^s fur trappers and made his first trip into the northern Rockies. When Hugh Glass, one of the trappers, was badly mauled by a grizzly, young Jim Bridger and an older fellow named assigned the task of standing by Glass until he died. Indians were in the area, fires were risky, and food was short. Glass weakened, but hung on. When he seemed far past recovery, the two men left him and traveled south to safety. L But Hugh Glass recovered, and crawled and scrambled toUo I to Fort Laramie, blood in his eye, looking for those deserted him. He threatened Jim with his life, then forgave him/^ince he was young and green. ^Jim Bridger topped out at more than six feet, walked remarkably erect for a trapper, and saw things with his pale gray eyes that few others could detect. He was �ORY Ol^raOUSE Norm Weis never lost, and had an uncanny feel for the weather. Jim visited Yellowstone Lake when he was twenty^ six^^nd watched as two Indians disappeared forever beneath the crust of a hot pool. Later he told friends of the geysers and hot pools, but few believed him. This set Jim to telling wild stories. I They began to call him^ld GabeVwhile he was Still young. Everyone listened to his wild stories, and many greenhorns believed them. ^He told of petrified birds in petrified trees singing petrified songs, and of a large mountain of pure crystal that you could see through. "XZfook half a day to walk around it.^^i/ He claimed that he hauled out a chunk big as his arm and had it tested Wure Diamond,Vhe claimed. He even took three shots at an elk in that same area, then walked up to bleed it. Turned out the glass mountain was acting like a telescope -- t durn elk was twenty-five When he had two arrowheads removed from his back in a one^our operation, without benefit of anesthesia, the doctor couldiP^t believe the wounds hadn'^t^ infected. [^ridger spoke English, Spanish, some French, and ten Indian tongues, and he told stories in every language. 'V �T^S^ORY OUTHOUSE Norm Weis [jOnce, near Lake DeSmet, a small alkali pond at the time, he pointed out the oil seep above, and the coal outcrop below. I^^^e^open up that thar oil seep and run \Zr inter the lake -jj then touch off thet coal, and bile the hull thing down ter soap.XX (^aptain Palms believ^him, and so did a famous historian, who relayed this great idea to his rich friends r- even printed the fact later. [Jim always claimed the hills were growing, and delighted in pointing out a large boulder, claiming it was only a pebble when he put it there years ago. -Po/ / / He had a fascination Shakespeare, always identifying heavily with the characters, but always becoming disillusioned with their foul behavior. ^^_After he saw a Shakespearean play at Fort Laramie he promptly bought a book of plays at the /ut/le^/^d hired a private to read it to him. He loved it until the private got to the point where the two boy princes had their eyes put out. Jim asked the private,'^id he do that^^/ When the soldier reread the passage, Jim grabbed the book and threw it in the fire t’- Vfhat^ what I think dV himiVZ M He never lost his taste for Shakespeare. Once he stopped a train and traded a span of oxen for a copy of^: S'CaT'/ck's �Norm Weis a book on Shakespea^ Later he hired a boy at a month to read it to him, until the boy got to the story of Richard That cooked it rr VZi ain'^t listnen ter any more talk of a man n who war mean enough to kill his mother ^ne of Jim's favorites was the story of th^%uffalo Dam?^ Seems he was camped on the Platte, below Cottonwood Springs, when a'VXierd of buffalo came a streamir^down the hill -- we corralled the wagons and put the stock inside, M lest they be tromped.\/ [ae herd plunged into the river, one on top of another. The droves were enormous. miring down and climb­ ing over until 'dammed the river --'^nd the water rose to M where the wagons was -- Came plumb up to the axles, and it n were only a little short of washiri^ us away and drownin''^ /A few years ago, a coal-fired power plant was built half a hundred miles east of historic Fort Bridger, a place Old Gabe loved for its pristine beauty and its air so clear you co^ld \%ee for three days?</ -142- set �Norm Weis j power company named it the "Jim Bridger" plant, and ever since, ^Id Gabe has been turning unmea­ sured revolutions per minute in his grave. [In fact, the climate near his burial plot in Kansas City has warmed noticeably since the construction of the power plant, no doubt the result of the friction created by his rapid rotation! un �t’ORY Ol^THOUS yii Norm Weis U. I AH’ OR/ Summer was approaching and it was time I made plans to follow up the leads and hot tips that had accumulated while I had been rummaging about my home state. /Most of the tips -etfeoat sites in the Continental / '— -VollotJcet up 0/1 . ' ^tates had already been The inaccuracies of these leads were amazing, and did nothing to instill confidence in the sites yet unvisited. to Alberta,Xy the tipsters said. "There was a two^stoty outhouse in Lundbreck -- and be sure to visit Nordegg.Vj/ Al In British Columbia it was Fort Steele, Wildhors^^and Sandon. Then there were rumors about Flin Flon, Manitoba, and a few towns in Saskatchewan. [1 laid out a trip that would include the towns* in British Columbia and Alberta. Promontory, Utal^ite of the completion of the transcontinental railroad was on the �Cr^-sfORY ofaHOUS^ CTNorm Wefs f I had long been interested in the history of its construction. ’ I^^esident Lincoln and General Granville Dodge met and discussed the feasibility of building a transcontinental railroad in 1863, in the middle of the Civil War. One year later, the Pacific Railroad Act was passed, which authorized payment of ten sections of land and a cash bond for each mile of track to be laid. One year later, Lincoln was dead. (j^n 1866, construction began with the Central Pacific/ building east from California, and the Union Pacific laying track west from Omaha. The race was on, with the faster track layer taking the king\>^ share. By 1868 it was clear that the roads would meet somewhere in Utah, but since two^thirds f of the perrmile pay was awarded for finished grade, both roads built grades far in advance of their tracks. l(3/) The (Government hat/ upped the ante to twenty sections of land per mile of road, and the stakes were high. By the time the actual tracks approached a meeting point, both railroads had built grades more than 150 miles past the actual meeting point. The grades often ran parallel, although in opposite directions — even crossed several times. Rival grad- ing crews thought nothing of setting^powerful explosive charges without warning, as their competitors labored close by. I After much mediation, grade crews were called in and the tracks directed toward a meeting point in Promontory, Utah. . �o^thouseS^ Norm Weis The tracks were due to join on May 7, 1869, but the trainload of Union Pacific officers was held up by irate, workers at Piedmont, Wyoming. wages. unpaid The men demanded their back With the engine chained to resident of the Union Pacific saw the light, and telegraphed east for the funds. ^The Central Pacific folk had been celebrating for three days, waiting for the Union Pacific, and were in no mood to agree with the Union Pacific plans on just how the ceremony would be carried out. , The crowd grew unruly with the delay, so each side drove own silver spike. own golden spike and Each was tapped gently into a dally polished laurelwood tie. Then the spikes and ties were removed. was slipped in plac^and the honor of driving the last genuine spike was given to the two presidents of the railroads. Stanford of the Central Pacific missed. so Durant of the Union Pacific took a swing. He also missed. Two old-time spike drivers finished the job. I The story of the joining was better than the visit to the actual site. The engines standing in place are not the original engines, or even the right models. They are rented -I'UotzSCind from Paramount Studios at $100^^ each. In fact, nothing at the site is original, except one sledge and one shovel, which are on display in the small museum. -146- The Government plans to �orm have replica steam engines built, at $350 each, but as genuine historical monument at Promontory, tt^ U. / S./ Government has swung and missed. �As I drove north through Idaho, headed for British Columbia, I wondered how Canadian historical reclamations would stack up against the meager effort put forth at Promontory, [jThe road paralleling Kootenay Lake in Southeastern British Columbia was smooth and relatively free of traffic. I weighed my chances of finding a twojrstory ^-or more^ outhouse. Snows were bound to be deep, and much of the province seemed to be twenty or thirty years behind the States/Regarding in­ door plumbing. At my last stop for gas, a small station a few miles into British Columbia, I asked the attendant where I might find the men\ks room. He said there was no men'^ room, so I asked where I might find the outhouse. toward the bacl^yard He jerked his head \A6h, anywhere will be all right.V ^iondel, a rather modern mining town, at the dead end of British Columbia^/s Highway 3A, was a ghost in the making. The town was built around one industry -- the Bluebell Lead and Zinc Mine. The town boasted a beautiful golf course, modem school, and a complete business district. dying. But the town was Mining was phasing out, and miners were being trans­ ferred or laid off. I In two years it would be a ghost town with a golf course/^nd a swimming pool, unless some entrepreneur could continue it as a summer resort. -147-9 �brm Wei drove about the town, inquired about outhouses, and was directed to try the area west of Kaslo. [ A free ferry took me across Kootena^y^Lake, and I headed up the west shore, passed through Kaslo, and took the road up the hill heading west, going upstream along a small creek. [it was almost dark when the rains came. The creek rose quickly, in places covering the road, so that I had to speculate on its exact location. It was one of those white knuckle situations, and it was a great relief to top out at V the old mine site called Retailack. {There was a level gravely spot just off the road, /opposite the old mine building. I backed and filled until my rig was level, then cooked supper and sacked out. Weird noises filtered through the sound of rain on the roof. was musical at times, and strangely human, like a ghost singing a sad lament. I slept poorly. [In the morning I stepped out of the vehicle, and stared down the deep ten=foot by ten-foot shaft I had unknow­ ingly parked beside. [^^retty close, huh?^/ said a voice at my elbow. was white-bearded and white=haired. He Called himself **Whlte Water Bert. aw ya come in last night. I was listening/ to �^O^sj’ORY ojlTHOUSE^ Norm Weis the radio — wondered if you was goinX/ to drive her in that hole.V/ Told me he lived up there ^e was a friendly sort. all alone “^i/liked to sing along with^he radio,X/"he said. He* J invite me to breakfast, but he’flZ^t an hour ago.\/ Said '^here werenVt no tall outhouses around -- try Sandon.XZ H Lihe gravel road south to Sandon rides the east bank of a considerable stream, now high and swift from the night'^s rain. What'^ left of Sandon is on the west bank. Only remote viewing was possible. ^t was nonetheless impressive. Fronting the buildings was a boardwalk and a \X>oard roadbuilt up of heavy timbers. For some distance, the road and the stream occupied the same spot. I scanned the far side with binoculars looking for unusual structures, then drove down the hill to New Denver, where *’Wiite Water Bert" had said there was a dandy museum. , ^he museum was tiny, but held fantastic, and some- times unbelievable information on Sandon. { The town began when Eli Carpenter and four others, calling themselves the\A6oble Five,'^ began mining gold, silver. and a lead ore called galena. was built in 1900, and soon the town had twenty-three hotels -- quite an unbelievable -149- �There were buildings on both sides of the creek, statistic. including a cigar factory! An Opera House! A brewery! The population hit TSatCat the peak, when the mining and skiing booms coincided. A big ski meet was held in 1925 on a slope claimed to be the second largest ski hill in North America. A number of fires removed most of the residences, ' and obviously most of the hotels, real or otherwise. Then the floods of 1957 reduced the town to the remnant visible today. Without doubt, tall outhouses existed here, but had either gone up in smoke or down the river. ^^rt Steele was only eighty air miles from Sandon, but 250 miles and half a day by road. A quick walk about the reconstructed town revealed some impressive structures, but no tall privies. I^arly a hundred buildings form a rough rectangle about a grassy court with a ban^^tand at the center. At one corner there is a gigantic waterwheel that was moved from Perry Creek. At the opposite comer is the reconstruction of the Northwest Mounted Police barracks. The reconstruction was under way, and I spent a pleasant afternoon watching two artisans tailor logs to a perfect fit. 7 �Norm Weis [J^e, the older of the two, wore a hard hat , while the younger, had long hair held in place by a head^2 Don, band. Quite an odd couple, but they worked marvelously well together. They used only the ■**tools of the time,**^like broad- and double-bitted axes, an adz or two, augers, hand saws, and cant hooks. Each log was trimmed, rolled in place, removed, retrimmed, and the process repeated until the log fell in place with only tiny gaps between. These were caulked later, as the original logs were caulked “ with a mixture of manure and mud. ^The museum, centrally located, held a wide variety of artifacts/^nd a complete histojy of the town. ^^treambed gold was found in the area, but placer In 1887, Indian trouble mining gave way to hyd^lic workings. developed, and a detachment of seventy-five Northwest Mounted Police arrived, under the leadership of Superintendent Samuel B Steele, to bring law and order. It was the first Mounty Post west of the Rockies, and the small town once called GalbraitlJ^s Ferry, took the name Steele in Sam SteeleVs honor. IjThe town hit its peak at the turn of the century. then faded as the minerals depleted. fifty people left in town. By 1940 there were only It was declared a istoric ^ite in 1961, and reconstruction began. I Although impressive, much of Fort Steele was con- trived. But five miles east, some of the original mining �S O^HOUSE Norm Weis equipment remained at a site once called Fisherville, later named Wild Horse. tI found an old shack, a flume, an ancient pickup truck with a bedstead for a tailgate, and pieces of old mining equipment scattered in all directions. Barren slopes marked the sites of the last hydraulic mining. (And up the hill from the old town, a grave stood surrounded by a battered picket fence. Growing from the center, a huge pine tree offered positive and genuine proof of the graveVs antiquity. 3 [old buildings respond to photographic efforts best during the first and last hours of daylight, when the sun lights the under eaves and throws long shadows to show relief. It was my practice to camp ovei^ight near photogenic sites in order to take advantage of the morning and evening light. (Each morning, after exposing a roll or two, I would continue my travels, on the lookout for a cafe that would offer a big breakfast. In British Columbia that generally means an Oriental cafe. Such cafes offer great Chinese or Japanese food. but most of them consider the cooking of eggs and the brewing of coffee as a compulsory exercise. �Norm Weis I Graving good old home cooking, I passed up three or four eating houses with Chinese logos, and finally, late in the morning, I foundPlaceXV The waitress, a young Chinese girl, took my order, served my coffee, and stood by while I took a sip. Noting my grimace, she explained^ 'v6offee rouzy.\/ It was -- so was the breakfast of burned spuds, dry toast and fried eggs that looked like my grandles. �[So far, the Canadian tour had failed to turn up the outhouses, or the stories that I had expected. My next stop was Nordegg, Alberta, just southwest of Edmonton. The usual ^<H^ell informed^/source had convinced me that I should drive the extra miles. Xj4t would be worth itX/he said. ^ordegg was a provincial prison, and had been for many years. I was stopped at the gate a mile from town. The guard wouldrlZt consider my request for a guided tour, and got a great laugh out of my reason for requesting it. He did, however, tell me that he had seen " personally a genuine two-story outhouse in Lundbreck, Alberta. bjs -tip would have been ignored had not been close to the route home. Lundbreck Calgary was also on the route, but obviously not worth an inquiry. However, I was greatly im­ pressed with the sight of Calgarj?^ bright clean buildings rising out of the plain. Like most Canadian Cities, it was remarkably -153- �Oj&THOUSE^ lean, with well groomed parks and nicely kept homes. I reached Lundbreck that evening braced for another disappointment, and indeed, I was once again ---------- disappointed. The two-story outhouse was gone. — /7 p Don Timmerman, Manager of the LONG HIM General Merchant No. 7, told me the sad story. IjDhe outhouse had been a dandy, with two doors the upper level, and four on the bottom. connected to the Windsor Hotel. At one time it was The ^otel had burned down. leaving the tall outhouse standing alone. t I (it attracted tourists, so Timmerman bought it for colno / from one of the partners had owned the ^otel, only , I to find that the other partner had earlier given the outhouse to the ^ark Jifepartment in Calgary. I wash<4; about to backtrack to Calgary and chance another disappointment. I It was late, so I planned to camp overnight art Lundbreck. In the meantime I could nose about town. IjDhe LONG_^^ ^tore has been in continuous operation for seventy-five years, and it still handles merchandise that most would consider antiques, like kerosene stable Interns and Alladin lamps for the living room. I asked the manager if the I No. 7 on the store meant it was one of seven chain stores -- , it^s just a number. -154- �T1(fO=sfORY Ol^HOUSE Norm Weis [_^xt to Store No. 7 are two very old buildings, freshly renovated, and freshly labeledvkXshopping Center -- M Oldest in the WestXJ/ I Timmerman was quite surprised to find that other tall outhouses existed. He had been under the impression that Vi^i^ was the only one in the world. He explained that the upper story was reserved for ladies and gentlemen. The lower floor, connected to the hotel bar, was reserved for miners and other less refined folk. He suggested that I stop by in a year or two and have a look at the reconstruction he had planned. It would cost a good deal more than the^jjfeS he originally planned to invest, bul^figured it would be good for business. (^ell, I would have to visit Calgary sometime in the future when my enthusiasm returned, and Lundbreck would still be el^fe. the route home. �year after my visit to Lundbreck, my spirits had revived, and a final plan of attack on the two^story outhouses of Alberta was perfected. The one^year wait was perhaps fortunate, since it gave Calgary a chance to situate its new ^quisition, and also Mr. Timmerman of Lundbreck a chance to finish his reconstruction. ^ust in case things didnVt work out as hoped, I planned to include in the tour/a visit to one of my old home towns in lowaltadlook at Flin Flon, Manitoba, and a weeks'^ fishing in one of my favorite Ronge, Saskatchewan. f My early years of teaching were spent in the small Northern Iowa town of Lake Mill^ TiSiaaB. The town was percent Lutheran and 'Hihyty pei^cent Norw^ian. combination that allowed no dancing by anyone anywhere, and no drinking or smoking by school teachers. I used to walk three miles �Norm Weis into the country to smoke, and would drive fifty miles to buy a beer. The school coach and I solved the smoking problem by puffing away in the dark recesses of the school^ boiler room, where we could use either of two exits. Within a year we had a smokersV group so large we had to elect officers. ^Ithough the town had certain very strict rules, there was no ban on humor. Norwegians enjoy the down-to= A A earth variety, like the old speaker in the outhouse ploy. / My good friend and hunting partner, Bif ^pronounced i J *Bife*7 Bolstad, was one of the prime movers of the stunt. Bif worked at a gas station that offered[only^outside plumbing. He also had some hell-raising relatives that were mechanically inclinj^^ and game for anything. They were the sort to wire your Model A Ford^ throttle wide open, or set a mink trap on the floorboards -- even put a dead carp under the seat cushion M in the heat of summer. Apparently Bif got his idea about the outhouse speaker from a traveling salesman, and/only)needed)to mention it to his relatives and members of the Saturday night poker gang, of which I was a welcome contributor. In short order, an old radioA record player with attached mike was located. It had been used to announce dances in a nearby town of different ethnic and moral character. ^he speaker was stripped out and slung under the seat of the two'=holer, and the radio proper hidden behind the outhouse. Finally, a long wire was strung to the mike in the front room of the gas station, right next to the cash register. -157- �Norm Wei on all of our friends/ until the word got around town -- then we had to pick on strangers. It H didnX/t work so well on the standup traffic, but brought an instant response from the sit^own customers. We used to sit for hours on weekends waiting for prospects, especially and wife combinations. As soon as the wife headed for the outhouse, we would explain to the husband about the mike and loudspeaker. He would always give the go ahead. and get as big a kick as any of us. I^s soon as Bif figured the lady was well situated, he\/d pick up the mike and say, V/Lady, could you move over 7- ]\Vrn working down here and you are in my light !XZ / The reaction was always outstanding, and when word got out, business increased. Husbands would drive miles to H A N I TO g A FL.KZ -Flow lin Flon, Manitoba is one of a kind.^^amed for old Flinerton Flonerty, wfaasae the leading character in a book owned by one of the early prospectors fchrt searched the area for mineralization. A number of metals were found in high concentration. and the town that sprouted had to face the immediate problem of building on solid granite, pre-cambrian bedrock. y— -158- �Tifo-S'/oS 0]6tH0US l^ome OUthous Norm Weis es were built on elevated cribs but one maiws great idea about combination sewers and sidewalks made a working sewer system possible. / onc cao4 From each house, a sewer pipe ran slightly down hill, surrounded by a long wooden box about four feet square. filled with insulating material. The tops of the long boxes were stoutly planked as elevated boardwalks that seldom needed to be shoveled after a snowfall. The boxes from each house joined trunklines that connected every house and store in town with the sewage plant located at the low point. In some places, where sewers crossed roads, dynamite had been used to penetrate the hard rock. I Outside of town, outhouses were common -- so common I__ M that prefabricated outhouses, made of particle board, were �1^^ — I LaRonge, straight west of Flin Flon, but in the neighboring ^F^rovince of Saskatchewan, did not go the sewer2. sidewalk route, although much of the town was built on solid rock. They stayed with the outhouse out back made of particle board, of course. [vftien I first visited Ls^Ronge a dozen years ago, the street was part gravel and part rounded humps of solid glacier polished granite. town. For years there were no flush toilets in Then a new Government building was constructed, with -159- CL �P-S^ORY O^HOUS. septic tank and shiny white porcelain flush stool. Indians, mostly Cree and Chippewa, would travel miles to trip the lever and watch things disappear. (rhe snowfall in the northern plains Canada was not great enough to warrant tall outhouses, and there was no point in searching about the town. planned. So I went fishing, as �A week later I headed south and west for Calgary, looking forward to a visit Heritage Park, where the two— story outhouse was said to be located. heritage Park is big and beautiful, and everything works. The paddlewheel steamer paddles, and the old locomotive makes the rounds. I hurried past a dozen interesting stores to confirm the existence of the tall outhouse. /And there it was in all its glory a two=door, <_ Ai A ’ four^oler on top of a four-door eight=holer, topped with a A I A cupola -- and on top of that, blowing in the breeze, the H / Canadian Flag! I It was a dandy. All painted up to match the hotel, with the upper floor connected to the second floor hall by a catwalk. all banistered and beautiful! But the light was an excuse to look the ^ark over while the sun slowly M moved to a more favorable position. j I rode the paddlewheel steamer and watched others wrong scull their shells and paddle canoes. -160- The train spewed coal �Norm Weis smoke and blew a steam whistle that brought memories rushing home. ■(vo^ They were baking bread in the bakery, and I ate a slice while watching the smithy shoe a horse. Constable Blake, in Royal Canadian Mounty red, told stories in front of the constabulary. I admired the pelts being baled at the Hudson Bay Fort, and had a s^sparilla in the hotel. ^_V^en the light was right, I set about photograph­ ing the two=.story outhouse. The flag was missing! It had A been placed there as a prank, and I passed up the chance to photograph it. pressive. Even without the flag, the outhouse was im- Xt worked — it even smelled! / V't y H ' plaque at the side explained its history. After the Windsor Hotel in Lundbreck burned down in 1963, Walter Supeta ^the other partner^ donated the outhouse to the Heri­ tage Park Society. A few days later, I stood by the reconstructed two — story outhouse in Lundbreck. pon Timmerman had followed the design quite faithfully, but something was lacking. was a shade too wide, and the lumber was too fresh. It The cat­ walks were missing, and worst of all, it lacked the proper bouquet ^n the long drive home, I considered my long twelve— year search for two^story outhouses and the memorable -161- (S'P �Norm Weis stories. I was confident that the chore was complete, and looked forward to closing my notebooks, parking my vehicle, and setting to work developing and printing the many nega­ tives I had exposed. ^■^I^the mail that had accumulated while I was gone, there was a letter from a Canadian friend by the name of Peter Byl. He had located a three=.story twenty="seat outhouse A A in Newfoundland! No matter how many I tracked down, there would always be one more to investigate. This one was too far away, and I had already traveled too far. I would pass on ---'■''^i^en again — the outhouse in Newfoundland ——^ell -< a 4 & a < � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Two-Story Outhouse</em> Draft Manuscript Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1987 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_TwoStoryOuthouse_DraftManuscript Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/62854d4f9cc45246a2b36056539c722c.pdf 16f675f88d10a470d53f0a9bb0213c8c PDF Text Text SDITI?JG INFORMATION 1. Please keep the reproduction of maps in introduction as full size as possible in order to prevent distortion of scale. 2. Sequence of states mav not be altered, except that last three may be interchanged. 3. I have deleted one weak area in Utah. Probably no further deletions will be required. If so, the last two towns in Arizona should be the first to go. 4”. Text is about 56,000 words. There are 285 Black and White photos, and 6? towns are covered in 6 states. 5. I have made no list of illustrations this time. Let's leave it out — okay? 6. I’ll leave the tbble of contents up to you folk. 7. A number of color slides have been included foh the cover. 8. The picture key is merely a guide to location — don't feel that it must be adhered to exactly. 9. / Am writing Gordon concerning my feelings on format. 10. Author's pix and information will follow. ROTS OP RUCK �^LLDORADOS-Weis G D ' ~ * ball mill bathhouse boardinghouse boomtown ■ M K 0 P dance hall diehards dry-wash dry wash cave-in millsite mine shaft open-pit powerhouse old-timer coalfield comedown core drilling crossbeam cussword E g G H Q R S T sidewall end-to-end railhead slabwood flatcar rainwater snowslide flywheel speakeasy guesswork ranch house rearview mirror gunslinger rockfall springwater storefront hard-rock (adj) rockslide sunbleached jackstrawed jeep (l.c.) lifeblood (like - solid as a suffix) . switchyard tollgate, tollroad sawlog secondhand theat^ U V V X Y Z upside-down icebox , ropework runoff (n) shutdown (n) sidetrack (v&n) I J g L : sweepup head-on hometown soddy water hole worktable zigzag tie rod townsite townspeople,^^ �BIBLIOGRAPHY Bancroft, Caroline, Six Racy Madams. r Boulder, Colqsad^t Johnson Publishing Co., I965. Barnes, Will C. Arizona Place Mames. General Bulletin No. 2. Unl-^rolty of Arizona Tucson, Arlze*iai Unlvorelty of Arizona^ 1935. Beebei Lucius M., and Gleurg, C.^I. The American West: Pictorial Epic of a Continent. New York: The E. P. Dutton and Go.,^?955. Brown, Robert L. An Empire of Silver. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., I965. 3 ---- Ghost Towns of the Colorado Rookies. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1971. ---- Jeep Trails to Colorado Ghost Towns. The Caxton Printers, Ltd., Caldwell, Idaho: 3%^ 5 ---- Colorado Ghost Towns, Past and Present. Caldwell, Idaho: The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1972, Buffum, E. Gould. Six Months In the Gold Mines. Los Angeles: The Ward Ritchie Press, 1958. California State Parks and Recreational Department. Historical Landmarks. Carr, Stephen L. Sacramento: California I968. The Historical Guide to Utah Ghost Towns. Publishing Co., Salt Lake City, Utah: Western Spies1972. �Gold Is the Cornerstone. Caughey, John W. Berkeley! Uni-v^fffllty of California Press, 19^8. July^l9^0j March, 19^1} July, 19^1} Colorado Magazine. January, 19^2. Cook, Fred S. Legends of the Southern Mines. Traveler, California /Mb date. Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Grand 1972. County, Utah* Driggs, Howard R. Grand Memories. Westward America. G. P. Putnam's New York! Sons, 19^2. Eberhart, Perry. Guide to the Colorado Ghost Towns and Mining Gamps. Sage Books, 1959. Denver, Coloaadai Fisher, Vardls, and Holmes, Opal Laurel. Gold Rushes and Mining Camps of the Early American West. Caldwell, Idahoi The Caxton Printers, Ltd., 1968. Florin Lambert. Western Ghost Towns. Seattle, Wash^gtont Superior Publishing Go., 196I. ---- Ghost Town Trails. Seattle.Washi ngton! A Superior Publishing Co., 1964. 3 lA. —-—Ghost Town Treasures. Seattle, Washington! Publishing Company, 1965. Superior �Gudde, Erwin G. California Place Names. Berkeley: Univ»goi-»y of California Press, I969. Hall, Prank. History of the State of Colorado. Chicac-oJ Illtnaioi^ Chicago Blakely Printing Co., I889. Hill, Rita. Then and Now, Here and There Around Shakespeare. Lordsburg, New Mexi^eei Huber, Joe, Privately printed, I963. The Story of Madrid. Albuquerque: Privately printed, I963. Anybody’s Gold: Jackson, Joseph Henry, Towns. San Francisco: The Story o^Kining Chronicle Books, 1970, Gold Rush Album, Jackson, Joseph Henry, New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 19^9, Jackson, William Henry,. Picture Maker of the Old West, with text based on diaries and notebooks, edited by Clarence S, New York: Jackson. Johnson, Robert Nlel. Callfe«*4i«: Lee, Bourke, Charles Scribner’s Sons, 19^7, Southwestern Ghost Town Atlas, s Susanville, Gy Johnson and Son, 1973. Peath^ Valley, The Immortal Desert. New York: Random House, 197^. Lockwood, Frank Pioneer Days in Arizona. Macmillan Co .^932. New York: The �Looney, Ralph, Haunted Highways, New Yorkj Hastings House, 1968, Ghost Towns of the West, McDowell, Jack, Editor, Gall3^gnt-ai Miller, Joseph, Lane Magazine Arlzonat Menlo Park, Book Co,, 1971, The Last Frontier, New Yorki Hastings House, 1956, Murbarger, Nell, Califojaaias Myrlck, David P, Ghosts of the Glory Trail, Desert Printers, Inc,, 1956. Railroads of Nevada and Eastern California, Berkeley; Califagnlat Nadeau, Re mi, Palm Desert, Howells North Books, 1962, Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of California, Los Angeles: Paher, Stanley W, The Ward Ritchie Press, I965. Nevada Ghost Towns and Mining Gamns, Berkeley; California} Reeve, Prank D. Howells North Books, 1970, History of New Mexico, New York: Lewis Historical Publishing Co,, I96I, Roll^, Andrew P, Galiforniat A History, New York: Thomas Y Crowell Go,, I969. Sherman, James E, ourufi* Barbara H, Norman, Oklah^aa: Ghost Towns of Arizona. Univepnl4y of Oklahoma Press, I969. �S11verberg, Robert. Mew York: Ghost Towns of the American West• Thomas Y. Crowell Co., I968. Gold In Them Hills. Ston:?, Phil. \ M. Y. ; Garden City, Ne^Yerki tAmV. > Doubleday (an^ Com^aiyif» 1957» I United States Forest Service, Maps of the National Forests of the Southwestern States, United States Geological Survey,jTopographlcj|||aps of areas of Interest In the Southwestern States, Utah Historical Quarterly, selected Issues, 1928-33. Gold Mines of California. Wagner, Jack R. Berkeley; Qallfornlat Howell-North Books, 1970. Watkins, T. H. Gold and Silver In the West. Callfogntai Palo Alto, American West Publishing Co,, 1971. Wolle, Muriel Slbell, The Bonanza Trail. BloomlngtonJ Indiana Unlvwpolty Press, 1958. Woods, Betty, Now Ghost Towns and How to Know Them. Press of the Young, Otis E. Jr., Western Mining. of Oklahoma Press, 1970. Santa Fe, N. 19^9. Norman, Oklahoma: UnlvegoXty �LIST GF ILLUSTRATIONS Photo Number N Howardsville Map cj t Paradise Peak Map Topographic Map Symbols 5 Map: California Area 1 oo Zx^tv -III 00 am 00-^ Waste dumps of Union Mine 00 6 Buildings at Cerro Gordo 00 1 Trackless trestle at Union Mine 00 4 Sporting house in Cerro Gordo 00 2 American Hotel, Cerro Gordo 00 "Town Council," Cerro Gordo 00 57 a ) 9 Cerro Gordo]^by moonlight i. 00 00 Rock building in Swansea 00 Swansea's famous smelter 00 10 T Deserted main street of Darwin OQ 11 Q Abandoned general store, Darwin 00 12 J Old Darwin schoolhouse 00 15 M Company town north of Darwin 00 Map: California Area 2 00 ni 0 1) >‘-1 16 2 Ruins of cabin in Hart 00 ) 1 14 5 Chimney of Norton residence. Hart 00 ) 'I 18 6^ Strange device left in Hart 00 19 7 Olay roaster and pulverizer 00 Q a 15 Z Wooden flywheel of Hart's water system 00 IT 17 it Old stirring paddle above Hart ooj, ]f �2-2-2 illustrations Photo Number 20 Old stage station in Barnwell 00 / 21 ? Water tank at Barnwell 00 Q .J 25 ; "Tin camp" at Sagamore Mine 00 Rock walls used little cement 00 Q _ Sagamore Mine gallows frame 00 Q Map2_0alif01*111 a Area. 5 Large arrastra used to crush ore 00 00 ? k 3 Miller Building, 00 5 Z 24 J ______ 22 2^ 25 Oarlock 4 Existing buildings in Oarlock 00 Slanted track for hoisting tungsten ore 00 ? 5* Mine shaft at Atolia 00 Old buildings, Atolia 00 ”5* 5^ ; Deserted placer camp, Coolgardie 00 O’ 7 J Map; California Area 4 00 ^2 Q Rock dugout at Lower Masonic 00 c 55 3 Ruins of Middle Masonic 00 o Chemung Mine near Masonic 00 v* Remnants of Upper Masonic 00 V 56 Collapsed log cabin 00 56 Pittsburg Liberty Mill and aerial tramway 00 ! VI Sunset at Success Mine 00 _______ 45 Windlass-equipped, well in Bodie 00 44 Hoist works of Red Cloud Mine 00 45 Early radial-arm saw 00 46 Close-up of 1860 radial-arm saw 00 47 Old dump wagon in Bodie 00 J 28 50 51 54 55 ' 4 �5-5-5 List of illustrations Photo Number 1 59 r 42 T 00 00^7 00 00 Grave of Evelyn Myers 00 } Map: California Area 5 00 /:> Washington Street in Columbia 00 Wells Fargo Building, Columbia 00 Front of Wells Fargo Building 00 S4 Fire wagon, Columbia 00 4/ Interior of drugstore, Columbia 00 51 52 55 49 ----------------------55 Green Street, Bodie / t> Main Street gildings, Bodie 48 50. . Eastern portion of Bodie Old buildings in Bodie 40 41 Psige 3 Fulton and Washington streets, Columbia 00 Narrow bridge over San Antonio Creek 00 } "3 Livery at Fourth Crossing Ci 00 4 Shade, high noon. Fourth Crossing 00 St, George Hotel, Volcano 00 4 (a Broad rock walk in Volcano 00 4 61 Old hydraulic gun, Volcano 00 60 JiQQT of old jail. Volcano 00 62 3^ Volcano’s famous Old Abe 00 66 ] 68 Q Wells Fargo Building, French Corral 00 3^ First long-distance phone office 00 7 56 58 ) 59 67 65 64 65 Elton 0. Smith, French Corral pioneer Longest single-span wooden bridge 4 Side view of longest bridge Covered bridge near Camptonville __________ I 00 7 00 7 7 00 00 7 �List of illustrations Photo Number Page 69 Old schoolhouse in French Corral f Map: Arizona Area 1 71 3 Machine shed at Silver King Mine 00 V ? 70 Q Grace Middleton, Queen of the Silver King 00 o 00 ? 00 V 72 V 75 Headquarters, Silver King Company Home of hard-rock miner ....................... X ................................ ..... J ’KenaecQ-bf. open-pit mine 7^ 15 ___ __________ QQ T M^: Arizona Area 2 5 Old residence in Cleator 00 Turkey General Store 00 3 Main residential districts, Cleator School built with WPA funds OQ 76 Cleator General Store 00 Crown King 00 Old building in Crown King 00 Doghouse in Crown King 00 82 00 80 Crown King /reneral store 84 House of pleasure, Crown King 85 . .... V? 00 15 ) .. ^7 § *^6 00 Moonlight on Crown King's ruins ...Ttl. ................................ ............. - •• ■ •' 00 86 / Bmish almost hides Oro Belle 81 Old company office and bank OQ ) 88 Mystery building, Oro Belle 00 89 Moving saloons by mule 90 ) Jerome clings to Cleopatra Hill ® I 00 s i 74 �List of illustrations Photo Humber Page 91 Church built of old powder boxes 00 o 92 Large abandoned buildings of Jerome 00 o 6 95 Little Daisy Hotel, Jerome 00 7 9^ Old home in Jerome 00 / n 9^ J Stanton as it appears today 96 Powder house near Stanton 00 I' 97 Cactus in rattlesnake country 00 ) I Buildings used in gold mining 00 p 99 Weaver’s tiny post office 00 100 3 Burned-out residence, Weaver ) 98 Mill ruins. Octave Mine ) 0 ©0 3 H 101 I ) 105 ^0* 0. Carlson and his ball mill 102 3 Rock water reservoir in Octave 00 105 b Bullion house. Octave 00 I 104 1Foundation laid SBT without mortar OQ o 00 p 7 00 n 7 Map: Arizona Area 5 00 106 I ^Roofless ruins, lower Goldroad 00 J 107 13 Adobe hotel, Goldroad 00 108 Building bxxrned to save taxes 00'^'^ 109 Grout-and-rock staircase 00 Beautiful desert flora 110 I 111 11 North entrance to Oatman 00 j 112 a? Lee Lruaber Company, Oatman 00 J 3 o 114 U Oatman's old drugstore 00 00 3 3 �6-6-6 \ List of illustrations Photo Number Palie 115 iMBX 116 Ruined parts of tramway Tramway, Tom Seed Mine QO 00 115 3 South end of Main Street, Oatman 00 117 7 Wild burros beg for snacks 00 No burros allowed 118 / I I 00 ) 00 ) 119 } Mill at Keystone Mine 120 k) Head frame, Keystone Mine QQ 121 3 Mineral Park’s second mill 00 / 3 122 ) Last building in White Hills 125 P i 00 f Cactus in White Hills cemetery 00 Map: Nevada Area 1 00 / H ? 124 Adobe walls. Bullfrog 00 ? 125 Hot sun curls shingled roof 00 ) 126 Sand-blasted headboard 127 Ornate gravestone, Bullefrog " Buildingj. 129 la 00 I 00 ) 0 00 I 00 } 150 Overbury Building, Rhyolite 151 Bars on windows of Rhyolite jail 128 Impressive depot in Rhyolite 00 152 Evening light on Cooke Bank Building 00 > b g Gold Point general store 00 ) L I 00 I /b/ 155 j 155 Q, Gold Point’s business district 00 ) \ 154 *2 Deserted mine near Gold Point 00 Old home, Lida 00 ) 157 1 �7«7-7 List of illustrations Photo Number 158 Page Small cabin in Lida J Map: Nevada Area 2 145 159 g Deserted Catholic Church, Belmont Main Street, Manhattan 00 ! QQ Yu OO-.. 00 J 140 Manhattan homes still in use 141 Mine shack and head frame 142 Parts of small stamp mill 145 Q Impressive rock work, Belmont 00 147 ZyLeaning wooding buildings, Belmont 00 148 144 00 I If 6 00 IC "I 00 J 00 )L ’71 Old cowboys never die I Belmont’s main thoroughfare 00 ) 7 149 Nye County Courthouse 150 Mill ruins near Belmont 146 Cosmopolitan Music Hall, Belmont 151 ) Ione from Shamrock Canyon Road 152 ‘5? Unusual rock home, Ione 153 3 Engine at Shamrock Mine 154 155 156 Once-fancy home Ione J Berlin is smog-free Old thirty-stamp mill, Berlin 158 ) Hoist engine, Illinois Mine 159 "p Wreckage of metal tanks 157 00 ] 00 ) V ^1 00 00 1 "7 OO^^l b Miners’ Union Hall, Virginia City -- 00 00.. m. ..... ..... . 00 1 00 I )??______ Small smelter built in 1878 / Map: Nevada Area 3 160 n / 00 00 ) f Y 00) G �vjist of illustrations Enoto Bumber i Page 161 S’ Two churches, Virginia City 00 162 p") Fourth Ward School, Virginia City 00 ) f f 165 I 4 Main Street, Virginia City 00 164 G Honky-tonk piano player 165\ p Old engine in Virginia City 00 169 p Massive head frame. Yellow Jacket Mine 00 167 S Beer wagon in front of brewery 00 168 I I Gold Hill Hotel C166 170 1^ Old railroad trestle ^Freight wagon at Gold Hill 'Z 7 (o' 00 00 I 00 I / Map; Nevada Area 4 171 p Smelter ruins at Monte Cristo 00 172 RHock foundations 180 years old 00 J 175 pRoof of building at Monte Cristo 00 d o 174 Ij Hamilton’s business district 00 ? 175 PUnknown building, Hamilton ooQ4 176 K Storm clouds above Treasure Hill 00'S o 177 pRuins of Withington Hotel 00 178 IJ Rock walls in Treasure City 00^3 179 pTreasure City’s main thoroughfare 00 180 RMine dump near Treasure City ooS f 0 181 1/ Old walls in Shermantown 00 'S I I 182 ^Crusher in Shermantown 00 S / S 185 1 Chimney of adobe smelter 00 o 0 J '7 �Photo' Hxunber j Map: New Mexico Area 1 186 187 3 Ooke ovens in Gardiner 00 S’! 3 Close-up view of coke oven 00 3 184- Tom Hay of Gardiner 00'^ ? 185 Company house in Gardiner oo'^^l 188 189 ^Mule drivers in Gardiner Foundations of coal washer 190 ) One of Dawson’s remaining homes 191 Mule barn made of cinder block 00^^ y 00 "J 00 Q ooQ'^ L 192 3 Power house and chimneys near Dawson 00 Q 195 Zy Italian gravestone, Dawson ooQ 9 oop s i ; Dickman Hotel, Colfax 195 196 199 197 198 200 201 202 205 Colfax Grade School and church oo5 'g :j 3 Adobe ruins near Colfax 00^ S J J Map: New Mexico Area 2 00 ^ 3 ■j Present fire station, Cerrillos 00^1^ ^General store, Cerrillos qq"3 2 3ire-ravaged hotel, Cerrillos 00^17 ) Unpainted homes in Madrid 00^ I 00^^^ QHotel on Madrid's main street gold 769 was a busy train 7Miners’ Amusement Hall oo'^ 00 ^Catholic Church, Madrid 204 / Map: New Mexico Area 5 00 y �10-10-10 KList of illustrations Photo Number Page 205 ^General Store, Mongo lion 00 3Renovated stores, Mongolion 00'3^9 206 Mine was a big producer ^Panney Mine near Mongollon 00 ^Cemetery cross made of pipe QQ 7Weathered wooden cross in graveyard 00 00 207 208 209 210 211 / Old town of Shakespeare 215 / Henry Olay Mine, Valedon 212 QCompany stores in Valedon 214 Huge opening, Atwood Mine 215 ^Surviving buildings, Valedon _____ [j 0 00 ^1^'3 QQ^ Ll* 00^^'^ _____ °° )Map: Colorado Area 1 216 ^Weathered old mill at Ho wards vi lie 217 3Anchored cable of aerial tramway 00^ 00 "7 7 3 00 00^ ^ 218 Turnabout wheel of tramway 219 i) Mountains behind Howardsville 225 ^Large boardinghouse, Eureka 224 ^Old boardinghouse still in use oo"^^ 220 f Miners' shacks, Eureka 00 221 '^Water tower. Eureka 222 225 229 251 Mine on slopes east of Eureka 00 *3 "3o ^Old wagon axle in Animas River 00 301d mill on Houghton Mountain 00 l^Distant view of Bagley Mine complex 00 9*^7 ^Buildings at Bagley Mine 252 00 8 �11-11-11 List of illustrations Photo Number Pase f6 227 / Tom Walsh home in Animas Forks 00 226 ^Summer snow at Animas Forks 00 ? V 228 250 255 Vriain street, Animas Forks [)IiOg jam across Animas Fiver °° _______ / Map: Colorado Area 2 QQ ? 3 Little log cabin in Irwin 3 Forest Queen Mine QQ 4/steam tractor at Forest Queen Mine 00 Cable hoist at Forest Queen Mine ^John Hahn, owner of Forest Queen Mine QQ 258 ^Gothic Town Hall, built in 1880 00 3 b p 259 I Old pay shack, Gothic OQ 3 Colorado mountains near Gothic 00 3 0 3 ) Map: Colorado Area 5 00 3 b 241 ^St. Elmo is lively ghost 00? ^6 242 J St. Elmo Fire Company and City Hall 245 "I Miners ’ Exahange, St • Elmo 254 255 256 257 240 qq'^^'^ } 00 3 b 00 3 & ) i^Sun curls St. Elmo boards 00 245 LFull moon shines on St. Elmo 00 3 I £)_____ 246 J Ruins of Turret 00 247 Qcity Hall in center of Turret qq3 248 3 Gregory Hotel, Turret 00 3 4 00 244 251 252 Store and meat market in Turret 3 b '7’ H 3 '^4 ^Log post office. Turret 00 4Turret in early morning light oq1> t L ----- -- —------------------------------------------------------------ �12-12-12 List of illustrations Photo Humber Page 255 f Calumet's stage station 254 Q Huge boulder at end of stage station 00 '? / 7 255 ^Boiler of Wolf's smelter 258 259 260 261 264 262 Ruins of homes, Wolf 00 00 ) Map: Utah Area 1 00 QSpring Canyon from north 00 3 Decapitated building. Spring Canyon 00 Hydrants protected against cold Insteps that lead nowhere j^Company store in Spring Canyon 007 265 7 Lone streetlight in Spring Canyon 00 3 3 o 266 SLarge machine shed. Spring Canyon ool 3 f 261 ^Building in Peerless 270 ) Giant blower near Standardville 26^ 268 r,' ^One of Wolf's finer homes 00 of Standard Mining Company 3Offices 271 )Company offices in Latuda 274 212 1 ?01d crane near Standardville 269 275 00 Old ore cars ^Welcome to the Mutual Store ^Latuda's small jail 00^5’7 �15-15-15 List of illustrations Photo Number Page Seattle wander through ruins of Mutual 275 276 277 7 Coal mine on Spring Canyon 00 00 3 7j I Utah Area 2 285 ^BuildiJigs in Frisco 00 3 286 3Hole in mountain near Frisco 00 ? 289 290 ^Twin skips at King David Mine Waste dump west of Frisco L>Small residence in Frisco V 292 295 QQ^ 00 287 288 / 00 Coal tipple, Mutual 7 Map 00 |7 Tattered remains of fancy dugout 00 Sunset over the King David j I Last business to close in £*Cisco 00 ^^ § 00 3 <^( Cisco Motel 00 3 s if 295 296 Open 24 hours Hold drilling rig at Cisco end list illustrations 00 3 �FOR HELLDORADO Norman Weis CALIFORNIA PHOTO DaSORIPTIClj n No. 1 The trackless trestle of the Union Mine curves his:h over the remains of Cerro Gordo No. 2 The American Hotel, built in 1871, is the fanciest structure in town. No. 3. Massive waste dumps of the Union Mine seem to A* threaten the existence of Cerro Gordo. No. 4 . One of the smaller sporting houses in town. Note the tiny rooms or **^ribs. No. 5 The Cerro Gordo '^Town Council'^ Jack Smith, Barby Smith (Mayor), Cecil Smith, and a "stranger," Hod Hodrlguez. No. 6. Hoops that once held wooden slatted vats together now frame the buildings at the upper end of town. / No. 7 . Cerro Gordo by moonlight. the backs'round . Keeler d^ry lake is in �a (cont No. 8. aock building in center is probably part of the Much of the original town<:^**‘^^ Wiii^ site has been covered with shifting sand dunes. old town of Swansea. No. 9 • Only a small portion of Swansea’s famous smelter is standing. No. 10. Deserted main street of Darwin. D No. 11 . Note the anemic on the hillside. Defunct cost office-general stored once sold Green Streak Gasoline. No. 12. Darwin’s little school house apparently served other purposes from I876 to I900. No. 13. Sxtensive company town just north of Darwin has been empty for (1^years. • Chimney of the old Norton residence in Hart is framed No. 14 by branches of a Joshua tree. No. 15 . The wooden flywheel and walking beam of Hart’s municipal water system carted in from San Francisco in I900. �(n nn M No. 16^ Sbowins' sl0:ns of two renovations, cabin at east end of Hart appears to "be in need of a third No. 17- Wooden barrel hoops form a fiorure ei-^ht around the old stirrins; paddle at an unnamed gold mine and mill on the hill above Hart, California. No. 18 . Strancre device was probably used to break clay deposits during second-effort mining in Hart. No. 19’ After crushlnor, clay was roasted and pulverized. No. 20 ’ Venerable old^^age ^tatlon in Barnwell was the first structure built and the last to remain. Building has been modernized and enlarged a number of times. No. 21 Water tank at Barnwell appears to have been con structed shortly before staple station was deserted. No. 22 • Sagamore Mine vallows frame stands over the collapsed remains of its hoist house. 3- �JfH.1 fnrnlfl—(. oontlnuoi!?-)' No. 23. **Tin >2^mp at the Sagamore Mine was built durlnar the later tungsten mininjr period. No. 24 Sagamore was remote^^and lime was scarce. Chimneys walls, and entire buildlncs were constructed with a minimum of cementlno: agent. No. 25- Buildings in Carlock were made of a variety of materials. The two in foreground are of sawn logs, the one at the rear is adobe. No. 26 • Larsre arrastra was once powered by steam engine. Wooden sprocket pulled four large drag stones in circular manner, crushing scold ore beneath. No. 27* Miller building^ erected in 1897, sported a classy^ * angled entrance. Buildlnsr served at various times as stage station, veneral store, and bar. No. 28 • Tuna-sten ore was hoisted up the slanted track and dumped into waiting ore cars. Huge quantities of scheelite, an ore of tungsten, were removed from the ground below Atolia. �Uo. Several larsje buildings In old Atolla are beginning to show the effects of weather and depredation. Buildings were probably boardInsC^uses and offices. Wo. All of Atolia’s many old mines seem to enter the ground at the same peculiar angle. Shafts proba. bly paralleled the slanting beds of ore. Wo. Deserted placer camp of Coolgardle once had every convenience, even a tree house. No. Marvelous example of a rock dugout at the site of lower Masonic, No. Middle Masonic, once the bustling commercial center of the trio of towns, now consists of two cabins and numerous piles of rubble. No. The Shemung Mine, two miles southwest of Masonic, is in the process of being reactivated. No. Remnants of Upper Masonic string out along a side canyon just east of Masonic Springs. �ggciif oimla ( eeatlnuogl > Mo. 36 Collapsed roof of old log cabin gives a rakish appearance to the eaves Mo. 37 Sunset at the Success Mine on the road between Masonic and Brid(report Mo. 38 The Pittsburg Liberty Mill processed ores from its own shaftand from the Serita, half a mile up the hill to the left of photo. Aerial tramway once connected the Serita with the Jiill No. 39 Honeycombed Bodie Bluff overlooks the Standard Mine and the eastern portion of Bodie, California No. 40 Prom left to right, the JPost pffice. Odd Fellows Hall Miners' Union Hall, ,M^rgue, and ^he Boone Store and Warehouse Mo. 41. * View lookincr east down Green Street. Methodist Church is at left, livery on Mo. 42 Expansive boardwalks fronted the buildings on the west side of Main Street �Oftlifognla (oont-tw No. 43* One of many windlass:equipped No. 4^’ Hoist works of the Red Cloud Mine, one mile south due: wells in Bodie. of Bodie, are now mounted at the western outskirts of town. The peculiar "ribbon" cable measures 1)6 by 5 inches 1 j" No. ^5‘ cross section. Ordinary table saw at leftj^ and an early version of a radials arm saw at the front of the shed. Long support arm pivoted at top, permitting saw to be drawn forward to cut lumber to length. No. 46 ‘ Close-up of the i860 version of the radlalt-arm saw shows blade, draw handle, lower drive wheel, and broken drive belt. No. 47,* This old dump wafron is worth an hour of stUdy. Hand-:cranked worm gear permitted bottom trap doors to be closed. A traln^like coupling was Installed at each endy^permittlng reversal without turn about. Rither axle could be locked 3 while remaining axle was used, for steering. �'Oalif epHlQ ( oontlnuod)-P No. 48 ♦ Fancy stone marks'the prrave of JSvelyn Myers, who died Just before her third birthday. No. 49. The corner of Pulton and Washington greets in Columbia, California, Hydraulicked area begins just beyond street end. No. 50 The Eagle Cottage, /he Gazette ^fice, and the Fallon Hotel and Theat^^jl^ line the west side of Washington Street. No. 51 Two rock vaults occupy rear portion of the Wells-^^Cirgo Depot and Stage Station. No. 52 • View to the north along Main Street, with Wells Fargo Building at left, Douvlass Saloon in the background. No. 53 Originally built for the King of Hawaii, fire wagon was found unclaimed in a San Francisco warehouse. Named Papeete,it became Columbia’s pride and joy in 1859. �■gcillf orni "I (Chiiil. 1 huliJ ) Mo, 5^* Interior of drua^store on the north side of Oolumhia’s State Street. Mo. 55 • The narrow 'brldae over San Antonio Greek at Fourth Grossing and hoof. now caters to travelers on foot Old liverv is in backaround^^* to the riaht, oriainal staae station is nearlyhidden in heavy arowth. No. 56 Shade at hiah noon in Fourth Grossina. No. 57 Liverv at Fourth Grossing No. 58- use only if needed for George Hotel, built in 186? graces the lower end of Volcano’s i4ain Street, No. 59 • Looking north along shaded I4ain Street toward the old Ghinese store. No. 60 • Note the broad rock walk. The first two occupants of Volcano's jail were its builders. Hasp was well removed from door crack to prevent easy picking �■0*1 iPuiIlia (eoublnuBd No. 61. Old hydraulic ffun, or raammoth, stands at the main intersection In Volcano. Water entered at right, exited at high speed from nozzle at left. Wooden box held rock counterweights. No. 62* Old Abe, the cannon that won the war in Volcano. No. 6x. The longest single-span wooden bridge in the world spans the South Pork of the Yuba River,miles southwest of French Corral. No. . Built by David Isaac Johnwoodf in 1862, the alls wood bridge has an unsupported free span of 230 feet. No. 65 • Covered bridge south of Camptonville, built in I860, is still in use. No. 66 only if needed fop? Piton 0. Smith stands in front of the school he once attended? and later worked in as custodian. Gazebo at right is built community well. French Corral’s �No. 67. Office of the first lons^sdistance telephone line I the Mother Lode. Built in 1853, line connected the headquarters of the Milton Mining and Water Gompanv in French Corral /^wlth French Lake, miles away. No. 68 Wells-^argo Office in French Corral is shut tight with flr'e^roof metal doors. ^Tu^ only if needa^ No. 69* Moonlight over the old schoolhouse of French Corral Bell was stolen by vandals^ ^/^ter recovered. �gong’" *No. 77. u Jiiitslnuoal The Turkey General Store (later to be named Gleator) as It appeared In 192^?' Wo. 78 * One of the dozen or so residences that reiiain stand inp- in Heat or . No. 13 • Hock school^Jiouse built with Works Progress Administration (WPA) funds in the thirties^ • No. 80 • General store in Grown King has been in business for almost 100 years. . No. 81 • Triangular shape of Grown King was dictated by the railroad’s turiT^round facility. Saloon is at center, general store is to the left. ' No. 82 . Jet streams overhead contrast with one of the oldest buildings in town. No. 83 • The 1900 style of architecture common to mining towns is apparent even in this dog*7iouse in Grown King. — /1 - �ArlBowa • No. 8^ • Saloon, moved in from a neighboring town, once offered food, drink, and entertainment to the miners of Grown Klnsr. Outside stairway gave access to eight "going” rooms on second floor. . No. 85 * Old mill ruins and boarding houses reflect the light of a full moon. * No. 86 • Hemalns of Oro Belle are almost hidden by the lush growth. * No. 87 . Mine above town is the Rapid Transit. Fancy structure was probably company office and bank combination. Tilting wall at right allows little room to pass. * No. 88 • Vacant Interior of this structure makes speculation concerning its function rather difficult, but cup«la implies use as cook shack, assay office.or smithy. r » No. 89 • Stick by stick, the two saloons of Oro Belle were hauled up the mountain to Grown King. . No. 90'^ Jerome cline's tenaciously to the eastern slope of Gleopatra Hill. �' No. 91< Built by the pastor and parishioners .^church was constructed largely of old powder boxes, then covered with stucco. . No. 92 ' Wide wheels of heavvarduty wagon frame the powder­ house church of Jerome. Large buildings above are the abandoned grade school and hospital. Little Daisy Hotel as seen from the Daisy Mine. • No. 93 ‘ Hotel was home to single miners in the area. ' No. 9^ • Intent of sign on old home is not clear. Either humans should beware of vermin, or vermin should beware of the danger of a sudden slip downhill. * No. 95 . Larve stage station. store, and residence are.only A A remains of Stanton,\site of frequent foul play. . No. 96 . Powder house just east of Stanton once had stout metal door. •No. 97 Short wooden door poses a mystery. Adjacent to powder house. giant ^guaro ^actus overlooks an area noted for rattlers. �AiP'jfgown (13nnMnuefr)* . No. 98 • Two buildings of mixed construction probably housed goldiwashlng equipment. . No. 99‘ Weaver’s tiny post office, built in 1899. shows wide variation In the size of rocks used In its construction. 'No. 100. Burned*, out residence at east edge of Weaver overlooks slopes of Rich Hill, known for its numerous sold nuygets. 'No. 101* Mill ruins mark the site of the old Octave Mine, the only mine in the area to successfully tap an underground gold vein. of rock , No. 102 Diamonds-shaped water reservoir, bullty^in 1897 and still Intact, is one of Octave’s more durable remnants. ' No. 103. Gold was melted and poured into Ingots at the bullion house across the road from the Octave Mine and Mill. , No. 104 . Some of Octave’s rock foundation, still solidly in place, waye; laid up without mortar -/4 - �Ariaowa - nxipd .No. 105' 0.*'^Garlson checks drive mechanism on ball mill of his own unique desicrn. . No. 106- Lower Goldroad is covered with roofless remains of rook walls, stores, and residences. . No. 10? ‘ Twos-story adobe hotel, now in shambles, once stood proudly at the center of Goldroad. •No. 108* Gold ^^ad was burned down to save at taxes. Wooden roofs burned, but door and window casements somehow survived. . No. 109* Grout:and1 rock staircase leads nowhere. » No. 110. Desert flora has its own distinctive beauty. , No. 111. Empty remains 'he Lee Lumber Company and/^e Oatman Picture Show bracket the north entrance to Oatman, Arizona. Larye quartz outcrop thrustiny above horizon is named 'fThe Elephant’s Tooth ‘ No. 112 • Front of Oatman's Lee Lumber Company viewed from covered walk of deserted picture show buildlny. �Art. H o iiQ) (e 0 n 11 iiu agl) -y ‘ xVo. 113- South end of Oatman’s nearly deserted Main Street. Bulldiny at right was originallv a drugstore and soda shop. Memorial in the center of intersection is to Anna Sder, beloved citizen known for grubstaking most of the prospectors in the area. Although she died penniless, she once had sizable income from town property which in--* eluded most of Oatman’s red-light district. Mo. 114. Mow ^4ie Glory Hole,'*oat man* s old drugstore was recently "gussied up" for a role in the movie How^Mig West Was Won. Mo. 115 • Lower terminal of aerial tramway ends at head-^ quarters of the Tom Heed Mine at east edge of Oatman. No. 116 . Oil barrel rode the tramway continuously. Small cog^^eel below right wheel drove pump that lifted oil from the drum to the cable. Mo. 117 • Wild burros make daily forays along Oatman’s Main Street. Favorite snacks Include popcorn and dog food. - �jfeei&ovxA ' ( ,Z xNo. 118 If snacks are not offered on the street, burros will walk into stores to beg at the counter, Grace Kloehn, proprietor of a glass shop, heads •^Blackjack-^ off at the door. No. 119, Keystone i4ine stands over the remains of one of the mills at Mineral Park. Gerbat Mountains form , e ■ ' the backdrop. No. 120 Head frame of the Keystone Mine is about to collapse of its own weight. Massive tailings behind are from the stillaactlve Duval Mine. ✓ No. 121 Remains of Mineral Parks second mill, built about 18?^, appear insignificant when viewed against the gigantic Duval Mill. No. 122* The last structure in White Hills slowly eases its way toward the horizontal. No. 123 Barrel cactus volunteers as head board in the old cemetery of White Hills. 3ND ARIZONA PHOTO DESCRIPT �rnoTJ DJOjaiPTiw Mo. 124. Adobe walls mark the site of Bullfrog’s once- busy Main Street. Mo. 125 Hot sun has curled the shingles on roof of shack at the site of original Bullfrog claim. Mo. 126 Paint has protected portions of an otherwise sand blasted head board in Bullfrog’s cemetery. Raised letters read in part, "Anderson 1906." No. 12? • Ornate headstone in Bullfrog’s cemetery marks grave County, of Daniel G. Kennedy, born in Antigonish Scotia. ‘Mo. 128’ Nova Kennedy and Bullfrosr died the same year. Rhyolite’s depot is the town’s most Impressive remnant. Galled the finest in the state, the station served the Las Vegas and Tonopah Rail roadie. * Mo. 129’ John S. Cooke Bank of Rhyolite was built in I9O8, utllizlnfl' the local white rhyolite. Building was partially destroyed in I9IO to save on taxes. �Nt- u (uuiib Mo. 130 The Overbury gilding as seen through the re-* mains of the H. D. and L. D. Porter building. Overbury building, originallyQstories high, was equipped with a 5,000=gallon water tank on roof. No. 131 • Rhyolite X^ail was 1 located in the middle of the red-light district. Bars on windows were actually bars. No. 132 • Walls of Cooke^ank building are silhouetted by fading evening light. No. 133 Gold Point's most recently occupied business district consisted of a general store and post office. The sign aboi^e indicates the post office was the first to fold. No. 134 • One of a great number of deserted mines in the area southea|.s t of Gold Point. No. 135 Gold Point's earlier business district held post office, /l!he Horns liver Herald, office, and (1*3^ saloons. Observers claimed the town "extended almost as you watched it." -A.!- �)TaVADA (ooft 13 No. 137 Alternate fcrl35 One of the finer homes in the old gold town of Lida^ Mo. 138- Small cabin is dwarfed by massive tree at the south edge of Lida. Z -Mo. 139* Manhattan's Main Street was once a solid string of connected buildings. Structure at left was adapted for use as firehouse. .Mo. 140. The finest homes in Manhattan once lined the street on hill just south of town. A few of the homes are now used as summer retreats. Mo. 141 < Mine shack and head frame are Just a few steps east of Manhattan's deserted post office. 4-^ No. 142' Parts of a small stamp mill that once processed ore near the Mount Moriah Cemetery, a mile or so west of Manhattan. 2 2. - �i'leuaiga" (eowtlwuod-)' tx 'No. 143 • Catholic Church was moved In from deserted Belmont. The^,^>g?^iurch fell Into disuse a second time when /lanhattan also hecame deserted. thoroughfare iMo. 144 » West side of Belmont’s main tha^i^afapa held a general store mai»oppti-10 (ria;ht), undertaker’s parlor, and i4rs. Hushes’ Boardin*^^^se. No. 145. Hear view of build ina;s on east side of Main Street shows Impressive rock work. . No. 146 • Cosmopolitan Music Hall once hosted the famous Fav Templeton. z No. 14? Buckled and leanlnv, wooden structures at south end of Belmont will soon be reduced to foundations and rubble. No. 148 • Old cowboys never die. They Just pull their riys off the road. iz . No. 149 • Nye County Courthouse, built in 186?, had numerous chimneys serving heaters in every office. the late«-model horse trailer in foreground. - - Note �Nevada (oontlnuo^-} ’No, 150. Impressive ruins of the combination mill are Just east of Belmont. -A second^ more modern^ mill, also deserted, Is half a mile to the south. • No. 151. View of Ione from the Shamrock Canyon road shows the extent of the old town and the Influx of a new breed of traller-towln?? prospectors. No. 152. Trappings of the mining trade hang all about this small rock structure at the east end of Ione. Bars, made of ore car rails, are too widely spaced to serve any worthwhile purpose. No. 153. Old "hot head" engine at the Shamrock Mine half a mile southeast of Ione. •No. 154. Walls of this oncesfancy home at the west end of Ione are more than two feet thick. Fireplace In rear end wall Is flush Inside and out. No. 155. Berlin, smogrfree and uncongested �jfevad cai (o anti adi) thirty-stampy •No. 156- Old«'jQ ^tanip ^11 of Berlin stands at the i Interface of Ione Valley and the Shoshone Mountains. No. 157* Small smelter, built In I878, proved the local ore to be of sufficient value to warrant construe tlon of larger smelter seen In backvround. No. 158* When the Illinois Mine was In operation, boiler at rlflrht supplied steam to hoist ens^lne mounted on concrete pad to left of head frame. Ore was chuted Into the shed for sorting. No. 159* Metal tanks were either blown up or blown down. "Bases for the tanks can be seen at upper right. No. 160’ Y > Pipers Opera House, ^e Knights of Pj^thlas, Schoenfeld's Furniture, and the Miners' Union Hall stand In a row, one block off the main street of Virginia Gltv. / No 161^ St. Mary's ^n^he Mountains, built In I877, over?' shadows St, Paul's Splscopal Church on the down*^ side of Virginia City, -AS' “ �KTevada (cont inued) No. 162' Old Fourth Ward School had^f stories and fancy arches over the windows — but no fire escape/. No. 163. Once=bustling Main Street of Virginia City still bustles, especially on weekends. Town once boasted 100 saloonsand a yearly consumption of 75»000 gallons of hard liquor. No. 164* Delightful old piano nlayer orovides honkystonk music in one of Virginia City's better beer Joints No. 165 ‘ Snffine 27 of the Virginia and Truckee Railroad stands idle on a short piece of track in Virginia City. ' No. 166 » Much of the Vira-inla and Truckee line from Carson City to Vir,yinia City was either high trestle or deep rocky cut. Note people standing on walkway below tracks. ✓ No. 167 » Beer wasron once hauled barrels of beer from the brewery in background. Many buildine-s ^^Cold Hill have been renovated by their owners to be used as residences or summer homes. �'Ifevada (GOXibliiLiud')' No. 168* The Gold Hill Hotel was built on the site of the first recorded claim in town. It also had the distinction of being the first hotel in Nevada. ) No. 169, Massive head frame of the Yellow Jacket Mine stands on Gold Hill’s Main Street. Mine tapped gold and silver from the south end of the Gomstock Lode. • No. 170 Freight wagon is one of many wagons sprinkled about Gold Hill. Residents are restoring a variety of horse-drawn vehicles. No. 171 Smelters at Monte Cristo began operating in 1866, two years before the big strike at Treasure Hill, several miles to the east. grade local ore Smelter processed lowss never tasting the silver^bearing rock of the big strike due to Intervening raoun^^ tainous terrain. No. 172 Local sedimentary rock laid up by experts resulted in corners that have remained plumb for more than 180 years. �y»w.da (oontlnuagi) ISTo. 173 Interior of rock building In Monte Cristo shows repeated efforts to brace roof against collapse. Ito. 174. Hamilton’s business district held 101 saloons and stores doing general business. The double wall formed by adjacent buildings has managed to survive. Ho. 175 Arch of unknown building at north end of town demonstrates a quality of workmanship that proved unnecessary. Hamilton was deserted five years after it was incorcorated. Ho. 176. Storm clouds gather above Treasure Hill before descending on the remnants of Hamilton's resi^ dentlal district. Mo. 177. The vault, a tall corner, and large basement are all that is left of the Withinarton Hotel, one of Hamilton's finest. Mo. 178 ‘ Many of 1ites Treasure City’s buildings were several stories high at the downhill end. ^with sparine: use of mortar. I Malls were laid �■jJevaCla (caiifclnuii.d' ■fchoronghfare No. 179’ Treasure City's main jo^s occasionally to miss open shafts. Pogonlp Hld?e is in rljz:ht background, with Pancake Hange in the distance. No, 180' Odd structure on mine dump above Treasure City appears to have served as drive shaft or cable pylon. No. 181. Buildings in Shermantown are nearly buried in heavy growth. Walls of second building can barely be made out in left center of photo. No. 182 A gasoline engine once powered this secondieffort crusher mounted below small dam in center of town. dwindled Plow of water has yodwoo^ to a trickle, preventing further operation. No. 183 Chimney of Shermantown's adobe smelter was U. apparently never ^sed. Wooden forms still line �rnoTJ rrzi^ jairTTgw^ No. Tom Hay left one ghost town to move tato another. Tom and his son are presently the sole residents of Gardiner. No. 185 J of the better company houses left on Gardiner’s Main Streetj as seen from remains of Imposing rock structure^ No. 186 , Most of the 300 coke ovens In Gardiner were manned by Italian crews. The Italians were said to be resistant to heat. lighted , No. 187 • Oven was filled with coal and charcoal, then 3^ and sealed off with bricks. A day or so later, coke was removed. No. 188 - Mule drivers lined up for a picture. Goal hauling was considered a step above mining or coking. No. 189 * Foundations of coal washer fill the foreground. Lamp house is at the rear. No. 190 .Only a few of Dawson’s hundreds of homes are left standing. -So- �■tew iaegicia-4'e'3n.tilnuQa )"^ ‘Ho, 191* Hui® barn was made of an early form of cinder block. Mules were brouo-ht out of the mines once a month. .No. 192. Powerhouse, chimneys^and coke ovens cover a larpre area at the east eds^e of Dawson. 'No. 193- Italian headstone demonstrates the cosmopolitan nature of the early citizenry In Dawson. Grosses in background are a small portion of the 400 graves of mine disaster victims. No. 19^ • Dickman Hotel at Colfax operated under several names and served a number of purposes. At one time it was a general merchandise store on the first level, with IJooms for rent above. No. 195. Much planning went into the Colfax Grade School. BuildInv also served as church. No. 196. Adobe ruins are found just north of the Colfax School, Hock water tank is in the backarround. 3/- �New Me al o o (e , No. 197- Inucd) The only store in Gerrilios retains the fancy letterinsr placed there by a movie company. Owner has changed name at top of slfpi with a minimum of effort. . No. 198. Two elderly residents of Oerrillas died when the rock hotel burned. Remaining resldentSy^purchased a fire engine Wo. 199 ’ newly purchased fire ensrlne^ in CerrilloS. * Wo. 200 • Long rows of unpainted homes still line the streets of Madrid . ' Wo. 201 . Hotel on the main highway throuprh town once offered board and bed to bachelor miners. ► Wo. 202 • . five-mile , Old 769 was kept busy making the run to Waldo. Train hauled coal out and water back to Madrid. No. 203* iMiners* Amusement Hall contained game rooms, club-rooms. —seventy-five cents and ball rooms. Dues were 5 2.- per month. *—* �Stew- Mqxioo (-eon-blnued)— No. aoi)' Gathollo Church of Madrid had unusual entrance with storage beneath. Structure was stucco^ covered adobe and rock. No. 205. Combination store and smithy at east end of Moncrollon sports a classy false front above patch.' work siding. No. 206. Old saloons, boarding houses^and stores have been renovated to serve as theaty!^, summer residence^ and museum. No. 207. Panney Mine was the largest producer in the Mongollon area. Tallinsrs of the mine once slid down canyon, wiping out the Maud S. Mlll^ and damming the creek cassinar through town. it closed No. 208 The Pannev Mine has changed little since its aIjisutt, more than ^3^ years ago. No. 209. Miners of Mongollon showed great originality. Head*^ boards and crosses in the cemetery were made of slate concret^j^ even pipe and electrical conduit. 55 �Mexloo ■(-eant » No. 210- Althoucijh deeply carved, Inscription on old wooden cross is difficult to make out. No. 211, The date is 1896. Access to the old town of Shakespeare has been limited since owner, Rita Hill, lost her crusade ayainst the New Mexico Hlo^hway Department. » No. 212 • Several company stores occupied this 1onrock buildlnfi? in Valedon’s business district. No. 213 Most of the buildings in Valedon were blown up to save dent's No 214 . taxes. Walls of store and superinten survived the blast. Hu^re opening leads to smaller shaft just below the Atwood Mine at outskirts of Valedon. No 215 ’ Henry Olay Mine stands idle in front of remains of Valedon. Old 85'**Mine, just above school*~house at left, is still operating. 34 - �Wo. 216’ Weathered old mill Is the most Impressive remnant In Howardsvllle, Wo. 217. Anchor cable counteracted toppling effect of aerial tramway. Wo. 218 Main cable of tramway reversed direction by passing around the **^urnabout wheel. Wo. 219 Holst bar and old cabin are backdropoed by Macomber Hematite Lake is Just over Peak and Dome Mountain. the notch. Wo. 220 Miners’ shacks at 3ureka were placed well out on the flats to escape snow slides spawned by barren slopes. Wo. 221* Stout timbers would! indicate W^ot this small structure served oris'lnally as a water tower and was « later adapted to other use. Sunnyside Mill remains are in the background. Wo. 222 . Unnamed mine hanys precariously at top of talus slope just east of 3ureka. - 3 r- �golora^ n (o -nnt ¥o. 233. Larsre board ins^ouse at north end of Eureka is poorly located. Sprint floods and winter snoi^ slides threaten bulldlns^ annually. No. 224• In spite of its precarious location, old boarding^ house shows slyns of recent renovation. No. 225 ' Old wayon axle lies partly awash. Animas River, gentle In summer, can rampage during spring run off. No. 226 . Hills around Animas Porks are occasionally snon& covered even In midsummer. View from porch of fancy house ^o^^looks a similar residence, the Animas Hlver, remains of Golumbtts Mine and Mill. A No. 227 • Most pretentious house in Animas Porks was the home of Tom Walsh, discoverer of the Gamp Bird Lode near Ouray. No. 228 . Dilapidated zM^ln street of Animas Porks shows a variety of construction and renovation. - ^6- �‘Wo. 229, Houffhton Mountain, source of many snowslides, overlooks the old mill below t Wo. 230. Columbus Mine. Fresh snow adds a dappled beauty to Ior dam across the Animas Hlver, a mile or so dowrT^ stream from the town of Animas Porks. ‘Wo. 231 • The Bae-ley Mine complex as seen through the re mains of the Columbus Wine^ ' Wo. 232. Several build in,vs of the Bas-ley Mine, just west of Animas Forks were wined out bv recent snow' slides. •Wo. 233. Little los: cabin of Irwin, Colorado, is dwarfed by tall trees. . Wo. 234* The Forest Queen Mine biggest silver producer in the Huby Hange^ Wo. 235’ Steam tractor was used to power support machinery at the Forest Queen. Wo. 236- Powered by a converted World War II cable hoist of Forest Queen is still operable �■JoloradQ (eowtlnuttel-^ ♦No. 237‘ John Hahn, retired artillery officer, Is the present owner of the Forest Queen Mine at Irwin. No, 238* Town Hall at Gothic was built In 1880 and has since been frequently braced, cropped-and supported. 3ven the outside stairs are placed to counteract the lean. No. 239 * Old pay shack In Gothic has been restored without benefit of paint, Twelverthousandzfoot Mt. Gothic Is In backarround. No. 2^0. Mountains to the north of Gothic are amonsc Colorado’s most beautiful. Ascen, worlds famous ski area. Is Just over the top of Maroon and Pyramid ^/P^aks, No. 241 • St. 31mo, recently declared officially abandoned by the governor's office, has been a ghost town for many years, .^No. 242 ’ The St. 31 mo Fire Company and City Hall. Small, many-sided structure at front Is a phone booth. - 2- �ttoloi'ailu (bdntinueH No. 243« Obviously, the Miner's lixchana^51ffn on door correctly Indicates that fishing in the area is good. Sun and thin atmosphere of St. Slmo's high altitude cause boards to No. 245. bleach and curl rapidly Full moon hlerhllghts the fronts of buildings alon^ thoroughfare. St. ilmo's main Wno^fayoi. No. 2i^6 Huins of the western portion of Turret viewed from a rocky outcrop In center of town^ No. 247. City Hall overlooks central portion of Turret. No. 248 ♦ Gregory Hotel has some of Its Interior walls papered with old /ssues of the '^Gold Selt.*^ No. 249 Henson's Mercantile and Meat Market^viewed from porch of Gregory Hotel. No. 250 alternate format to 249 �No. 251. Log post office In foreground^ and Turner resly dence behind. Turner Mine tunnel entered the ground a few steps from the back door. No. 252. Hoofs of Turret catch the early morning light. No. 253 Trees now furnish the shade once offered by shlncled porch at rear entrance to Calumet's zS^apre y3^at 1 on. No. 254 • The stasre station reached Its full/yttfoot length when further construction was terminated by huge boulder. No. 255 • Calumet's only residential building consists off^ leaning walls and droonlng remnants of a covered porch. No. Small smelter Is the most Impressive building In Wolf, one of Colorado's least:known ghost towns. No. 257 * Long unused, boiler In Wolf's smelter has become a prime nesting site for local birds. �uolorai^o ( in Wolf/? Mo. 250- One of the finer homes No. 259. Trees 2:row in the middle of some homes in Wolf. Only faint traces of streets can be made out in this seldomivisited cohost town. �UTAH-PHOTO pgsoaiPTiaw--^ • No. 260* Sprln? Canyon ^lewed from a hill north of town) shows clinic at ria:ht, company store in center, community showers at left. . No. 261. This solid rock structure, like many in Sprint Canyon, was decapitated to render it uninhabitable/K and therefore untaxable. . No. 262 No. 263 Rubble-strewn stens lead nowhere. Company store in Spring Canyon sold general chandise, including raeat^, groceries, clothinsrif^ even gasoline. No. 264 • Water hydrants were boxed in to prevent freeze-up in cold weather. No. 265 Lone street light, lonv unlit, overlooks remains of south end of Soring Canyon. No. 266 Large machine shed, is located in main canyon at j the south end of Spring Canyon. �ti^o. 267, Ad for Never-aip overalls fills end of building in longsdeserted town of Peerless, a fevi miles below the town of Spring Canyon. . No. 268. Seemingly rusted in position, like the Tin i4an of The Wizard of O2, this old orane stands immobile on the outskirts of Standardvllle, Utah. No. 269, Offices of the Standard Mining Comuany overlook the remains of Standardville. ' No. Giant blower once sent life-giving air through the shafts and tunnels below Standardvllle. 'No. 271 Company offices of Latuda fill the narrow space between Main Street and bluff behind. « No. 272 Latuda's small jail is still in working order. Note the cast-in-place roof. No. 273. Old ore cars stand before the Hains Coal Company shops. �No. 27^ Welcome to the Mutual Store. Please watch your step. No. 275 ' Gattie wander through remains of old gas station at north end of Mutual. No. 276/ Longsunused shop of small unnamed coal mine above Mutual^ offers scenic view of the head of Spring Ganyon. No. 277 • Tall coal tipple stands in rigid support of plat­ form matching level of tunnel penetrating hill behind. No. 278 Walter B. Hanks was the only Bishop to hold services in Gaineville's LDS (Latter'E'av Saints) ! Church. No. 279 Giant trees date this old cabin of Gaineville. No. 280 Olive and Andrew Hunt of Gaineville and Giles tend ajarden in Hanksville during the summer, reside in Green Hiver in the winter. Note I Olive has asked that her photo be left out. I have asked for her permission again. If not granted, I’ll cross out her face and ask that the following caution be usedi �^Utah (-continued-^ No. 280 (continued) Andrew Hunt, of Giles, husband of Olive HuntX' of Gaineville, tends garden in Hanksville during the summer and resides in Green Hiver in the winter. No. 281 Old rock residence at west end of Giles once catered to travelers on the Galnevllle--tO’Hanks—'''^ Ville road. No. 282 Small cabin, overhung by large trees,' is birth­ place of Andrew Hunt, early resident of Giles, Utah. No. 283 Rock cabin of Notom, Utah, has lately been used as an animal shelter. No. 284 Small collapsed house ^^Notom, Utah, shows roof denuded of shingles. Washer dates last occupancy approximately 1940. •^No. 285 *l Machine shop in center catered to repair work for \numerous mines in the Frisco area. �■fBunLluued) Wo. 286 I One of several crreat holes in the mountain as seen from c<}moany offices in mining area Just west of Frisco^ •Mo, 28? Small duff out residence had fancy raised kitchen behind front room. . Wo. 288• Inside of fancy duF^cut shows ceiliny and walls in need of repair. No. 289’ Twin skips of the Horn Silver had rock deflectors overhead. Wo. 290 Wafe-fee. dump overlooks flats once occupied by the west suburb of Frisco. Wo 291 Alternate to 292 Wo. 292 Sunset over the King David Wo. 293 - Hotel, mote]^ and cafe, the last business to close in Cisco^ -4/6. - �•Ufcali (eowt iHued) � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Editing Information, Bibliography, and Photo Descriptions Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Info Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/3d2cc67b434470e851468c11219c69aa.pdf 3285eb1d464b5e6f65365bd6315334f5 PDF Text Text HELLDORADOS �other Books by the Author; *1 All About Grizzly Bears All About the White-Tailed. Deer Ghost Towns of the Northwest �Helldorados, Ghosts and Gamps of the Old Southwest by Norman D. Weis Photographs and. Maps by the Author The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd. Caldwell, Idaho 85605 1975 7 �© 1975 by The Caxton Printers, Ltd Caldwell, Idaho International Standard Book Niamber 0-00000-000-0 ’ Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 00 006000 O'- - -2 ^^3 - Lithographed and bound in the United States of America by The CAXTON PRINTERS, Ltd. Caldwell, Idaho 85605 000000 �Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data “o3, ghosts, and camps of the old South west. towns, Ruined, extinct, etc.-q(-3(-ps 2 Mines and mining--■3 outhSouthwestern . Southwestern States — western States-History. > History, Local. I1 75-85117 ISBN O-87OOU-2b-5“2 ��J CONTENTS Page oo Preface . Introduction ..................................... oo Py?T I — CALIFORNIA ■^ea 1 Cerro Gordo 00 Swansea 00 Barwin 00 Area 2 Hart ••••••••• 00 00 Barnwell Sagamore Mine Camp ..... 00 Area 3, Garlock 00 Atolia 00 . 00 ....... 00 Coolgardie Camp Area 4 Masonic Bodxe . • . 00 ..... Area Columbia 00 Fourth Crossing 00 Volcano French Corral ....... 00 ...... 00 �2-2-2 Conteixts Page yi PART II — ARIZONA Area 1 Silver King.......................................................................... 00 Sonora ......... 00 Area 2 Oleator 00 Crown King 00 ........ 00 . 00 ,,,,,, 00 ......... 00 Oro Selle Jerome............................................. Stanton ... Weaver . . Octave................................................................................... 00 Area 5 ........ 00 ......... 00 Goldroad Oatman Mineral Park................................................................. 00 White Hills . 00 PART III — NEVADA Area 1 Bullfrog.......................................................................... 00 Rhyolite ........ 00 Gold Point.......................................................................... 00 Lida ......... 00 7 �5-5-3 Content; Page Area 2 .............................................. . . 00 Belmont ....... . . 00 Ione....................................................... . . 00 . . . 00 .... . . 00 ..... . . 00 .............................................. . . 00 ..... . . 00 . . 00 ..................................... . . 00 Shermantown ...... . . 00 . . 00 Manhattan Berlin............................................. Illinois Mine Camp Area 3 Virginia City Gold Hill Area 4 Monte Cristo Hamilton Treasure City PART IV ~ ISEtf MEXICO ^ea 1 Gardiner Dawson ...... .................................................... 00 Colfax......... 00 Area 2 Cerrillos .......................................................................... 00 Madrid................................................................................... 00 Area 3 Mongo lion QO Shakespeare................................................................. 00 Valedon ......... 00 �4-4-4 y Page PART V ~ COLORADO Area 1 ....... 00 ......... 00 ••..... 00 HoWardsville Eureka Animas Porks Area 2 Irwin................................................................................... 00 Gothic City.......................................................................... 00 Area 5 St. Elmo.......................................................................... 00 00 Turret............................................. Calumet...................................................... . 00 Wolf................................................................................... 00 MT VI ~ UTAH Area1- . Spring Canyon Standardville Latuda, Rains, 00 ....... 00 ..... 00 Mutual A^a 2 Prisco.............................................................. 00 Cisco.........................................................................00 Bibliography ............................................................... Index ........... 00 00 �PRSPACB old. Truth springs easily from the young and the very The X^id-^mer has outlived his Inhibitions, and the younorster has yet to feel the need of precaution. Their frank assessments and blunt statements are refreshing In a time when studied obscurity Is often the rule. Old-jrlmers and youngsters have played an Important part In this book. Without them much wisdom, humor, and his*?* Si tory would be missing. To them I owe my greatest debt. In the process of visiting, photographlngy^and gathering Information on the several hundred sites from which material for this book was selected, much help was offered by strangers that I now count as friends. As the text was assembled, valued assistance was rendered by a number of talented Individuals. To the following, I would like to tender my warmest thanks» Mike Herblson, Head of Libraries, University of Colorado^gampuo Colorado Springs, whose objective criticisms have always been valued: My wife. Jay, who has typed each of these nearly 60,000 words at least four times: Senator Gale McGee of Wyoming, for assisting In the procurement of maps both current and historical: �Darwin Fetters of Nipton, California, C. P. Thorpe of Cordes Junction, Arizona, and John Strahan of Ouray, Colo-* radc^for taking the time to pour over a multitude of mapsj Grace Middleton of Silver King, Arizona, Just for being Grace Middleton; Slim Riffle of Red Mountain, California, who burned his steak while telling me about old Atolia; C. 0. Carlson and Olive Hunt, who loaded me down with ore samples and fossils; Yancy Perea and Gene Vick, the twelve:yearcold sages from Los Cerrlllos; And my very special thanks to the >31d:J^imer from the Mayer, Arizona^area who insisted that he remain "unanimous. His tales were grand, and with a little scrubbing I was able to include most of them. Assuredly I will honor his request ~ his identity will always remain "consequential" with me. �_2E7 INTRODUCTION It may have been a wild and woo^y >ti^ldorado, mining a desolate a|y(» camp high above timberline, or a stubborn community of farmers joined In an Improbable endeavor. Whatever the nature of the town, its reason & for exlst^yice evaporated. It may have been the collapse of overblown stocks, pinchedrout veins, or the realization that the extremes of nature were beyond domestication. In 2^ any event, the citizenry vacatedif not entirely, at least to an overwhelming degree. With the passage of time, the reason for the town’s existenceand the cause of its demise may have be/^ come clouded. The longrdeserted remains of once;active 3 towns become a fe^lnating challenge to anyone possessing a modicum of curiosity. Some deductions are easy. Square nails gave way to machines made round nails in 1885, therefore an old hotel with square nails was probably built before 1885. Tin cans with hands-soldered dots centered in the tops were last made in 1915^ ergo, a roundxnailed shack with soldersdot cans strewn about was built after 18853 and probably deserted prior to 1915. Cl)^- <^^*1 �Generally, local museums and libraries can pro-^^ vide a reasonably complete history of the deserted towns in a given area. However, in the case of the littlerknown site, little of worth can be found in the existing lltera/^ ture. Occasionally an ;3id=ia^mer can be sought out, but some towns (like Wolf, Colorado'^ defy complete deduction's and permit only a speculative history to be drawn. Researching the little-known site, however, is easy compared to the original determination of its existence and location. Much of my effort was directed toward that end. To find an unknown site by direct ground search of an area might take a lifetime. By air easierTstut prohibitively exnenslve. be to scan a few thousand maps. the job would be A third method would The last option is at pre^ sent the only one available to me, although I am working on a means of making economical air search possible. geological The United States has carried out a survey for nearly one hundred years. Maps of the west have been drawn in great detail^ and published for general use since 1896. The first places to be mapped were the population centers and the mineralized areas. The latter show a great number of mining towns and camps, most of which were short =lived. Frequently^ two maps of the same area, but of different �dates, will reveal the sudden shrinkage indicative of a newly deserted town. Sven with just one map available^ a number of likely "unknowns" can be pinpointed by scanV' ning carefully for mine shafts, tunnels, dead=end railroads, and unoccupied buildings. Topographic maps that show the ground surface and cultural development in sufficient deV^ tail for such study are available from the United States Department of the Interior, Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center, Denver, Colorado, 80225. The Howardsvilie, ColoradOa?! minute topographic map, scaled 1 to 24,000 (that’s about three inches to the mileshows the ground surface in extreme detail. A section of that map is reproduced here. Howardsville (A), at the upper left corner, shows an aerial tramway connecting an empty rectangle in town with another rectangle half a mile up the hill. The tramway is labeled^ "abandoned^^ which Indicates that the mine above and the mill below are probably very old. leading to the mine A trail shown invites *§nisite"^inspection. The Pride of the West Mill is shown in black and appears to be operating^ however, the map is dated 1955. and the mill mlght have closed down in the interim. A search of the literature showj^ that Howardsville was a rather well know/» but small ghost town with one mill still operating. shut down. Obviously the Pride of the West’ had not Howardsville was selected as a site worth �visiting, primarily due to the number of old mine camps evident on the map. Any one of them could be a worthwhile^ little^known site. On visitation, the old mill at Howardsville was found to ^e a marvel worth several rolls of film. The mine and mill complex at (B) and (C) turned out to be a disappoint^ ment. The mill was completely gone, and little evidence of the Old Hundred Mine could be discerned with field glasses. An early summer snow prevented my visiting (3), the Gary Owen Mine, and (D), the unnamed mine on Rein Gulch. The four buildings and six tunnels, all in a cluster, still Intrigue me. I will hike up there some summer day, and while I’m at it, I’ll visit the Buffalo Mine (P), and perhaps circle about so as to take the pack trail, (J), back to the road. The pack trail and the road were part of the original route into the area. That route came up the headwaters of the Rio Grande River, then topped over Stony Pass, on down Stony Gulch, to Howardsville. The Little Fanney Mine, (H), clings to the hillside, making a sreat photograph for those owning a long lens. The Highland Mary Mine, (K), was once a town of the same name, I had great hopes that this site would hold a number of buildings but found only foundations. Glassing the hillside showed that item (G), The Shenandoah, was not worth a 2,000-foot thou8a^^^™^®e«^ climb. All in all, the area was a bust, except for Howardsville and the Little Fanney, �My map analysis of the six southwestern states haed. revealed nearly a thousand possible "unknowns." A search of existing literature showed the great majority to be, in fact, rather well known. Of the remaining two hundred or so, less than one in ten proved worthwhile. Many were wiped out. Others had been reactivated. The topocrraphic maps most commonly used in this type of research are the 7l minute/n inch to the mlle^ and the 15 mlnutenl inch to the milek The designation of 7| minute or 15 minute refers to the ancles of latitude and longitude included on the map. Of course there are 60 minutes to a decree, and 360 degrees make a great circle of the earth. The important thing to remember is that the 7i minute map^ shows^only one-fourth the area of a 15 minute mapbut shows^it in four times the detail. Although the Paradise Peak, Nevada, 15 minute map is of lesser detail than the Howardsville 7^ minute map, it contained more in the way of possible "unknown" sites. The portion of the map reproduced here includes the area from Gabbs, Nevada, at the southwest, to Lodi Tank at the -Northeast Items (A) and (B) represent towns supposedly still active ~ active as of 1948, the date on the map. The towns, however, might have bo^m» deserted in the past 25 years. Item (C), Downeyville, was listed as a site, meaning it was a deserted town twenty-five years ago. No buildings are shown �but more than twenty shafts indicated. and numerous prospects are Items (D), (S), and (P) looked promi si ng pecially (P), the Illinois Mine Camp. Pour empty squares and eight solid squares indicated that the camp consisted of (1^ buildings,of which were residential in nature. top of that, the mine was labeled "inactive/' On It looked like a good prospect, provided it had not been totally destroyed or reactivated since 19^8. When I visted the Gabbs area I found Brucite, (A), to be part of a large^ opens pit mine. (B), The Sierra Magnesite Gamp, was nothing but concrete slabs. At Downe;^ > Ville, (C), there was nothing. 1^ The Victory Tunarsten Mine, (D), was a small mine still operating. Lodi, (S), once quite a town, was now just one small water tank. But (P), The Illinois Mine Camp, was Indeed a find. Only a few of the dozen buildings were standing, but the remains at the site posed an interesting puzzle, ultimately pieced together by/search of the groundi and Nevada subsequent visits with Informed people at Gabbs, The|i^State Archives eventually provided a small additional amount of information, mostly about the old town of Lodi. Of the six^ teen possible unknowns on the two maps, only one had proved to be virgin of print and worthy of a day's research. Compared to the difficulties encountered in locating the wbrthwhile site, recording the remains on film was simple provided the elements were cooperative. I made it a practice �to spend the night in most of the deserted communities, in order to have the advantage of evening and morning light. Bleached boards respond well to black*andswhite photography^ provided the light plays across the surface — ■— to accent the grain and warp of the wood. Sometimes an hour’s wait, or a return for a last shot from a particular angle^made an ordinary scene into something spectacular. Staying overnight also permitted experimenting with time exposures by moonlight. Interesting and surprising results can be obtained if time and ^llm are spent freely. During my 7,000«mlle tour of the Southwest, more than 300 rolls of film were exposed, copious notes were taken, and a great number of oldctimers, nears olds timers, youngsters, and former residents were interviewed. Most folk were willing to visit*, however, some required a bit of cajoling. My inteirviewing techniques have always been less than spectacular andy^often abrupt to the point of alienation. Lately there has been some Improvement. My approach has graduated from "foot in mouth" to "tongue in cheek." Old-timers are often reluctant to talk with a stranger, especially one takes noteS, On a number of such occasions I found the application of tongue oil (a cold beer from the cooler) to be of great value. The social bility that resulted crenerally overcame any suspicions. ���TOPOGRAPHIC MAP SYMBOLS VARIATIONS WILL BE FOUND ON OLDER MAPS Hard surface, heavy duty road, four or more lanes .. . Boundary, national Hard surface, heavy duty road, tv*o or three lanes State Hard surface, medium duty road, four or more lanes. . . . County, parish, municipio Hard surface, medium duty road, two or three lanes Civil township, precinct, town, barrio Improved light duty road................................................................. - Incorporated city, village, town, hamlet. ZZZZZliZZZZZZ Unimproved dirt road and trail Dual highway, dividing strip 25 feet or less Dual highway, dividing strip exceeding 25 feet. ...... ..................... Reservation, national or state Small park, cemetery, airport, etc ..........------------------- Road under construction ........................ Land grant ======== Township or range line. United States land survey Township or range line, approximate location Railroad, single track and multiple track Section line. United States land survey Section line, approximate location Railroads in juxtaposition............................................................... d=i=t Narrow gage, single track and multiple track Railroad in street and carline .,___ Township line, not United States land survey Section line, not United States land survey Bridge, road and railroad..............................................................ZjZZ^Z Drawbridge, road and railroad.............. ........................... Footbridge....................................................................................................... Tunnel, road and railroad........................................... : Overpass and underpass .+ Section corner, found and indicated........................................ + ................................... ZjZZ^Z Boundary monument: land grant and other □......................□ United States mineral or location monument a ij II Z I Important small masonry or earth dam Dam with lock \ Index contour.............. .. Intermediate contour. . Supplementary contour Depression contours . . Fill...................................... Dam with road .n-rrn Levee................................. < Canal with lock 1 / , Cut........................... Levee with road............ Mine dump..................... Wash........................... Tailings............................. Buildings (dwelling, place of employment, etc.) Tailings pond................. Strip mine........................ Distorted surface......... School, church, and cemetery Buildings (barn, warehouse, etc.) Sand area........................ • .. . . Power transmission line ........................ Telephone line, pipeline, etc. (labeled as to type) ................... Wells other than water (labeled as to type) oOii Gravel beach................... Perennial streams . . . .Intermittent streams; . Elevated aqueduct.... , t>.~ Disappearing stream . ..,------- Water well and spring.o Tanks; oil, water, etc. (labeled as to type) Aqueduct tunnel oGas .......... • • • ©Water Small rapids Small falls Large rapids —~ -L”' ....... .iiii------ , Large falls o...................... 8 Located or landmark object; windmill Open pit, mine, or quarry; prospect........................................... y x Shaft and tunnel entrance............................... Y Dry lake Intermittent lake n Foreshore flat .* sJ— TrZyTTZ':??.-,., ' \ , Rock or coral reef.... " Sounding, depth curve.Piling or dolphin Horizontal and vertical control station: Exposed wreck BMA5653 Tablet, spirit level elevation Other recoverable mark, spirit level elevation Sunken wreck................. Rock, bare or awash; dangerous to navigation * s* A5455 Horizontal control station: tablet, vertical angle elevation VABMA9519 Any recoverable mark, vertical angle or checked elevation ^3775 BMX957 Vertical control station: tablet, spirit level elevation Other recoverable mark, spirit level elevation................. X954 Checked spot elevation.............................................................. . . Unchecked spot elevation and water elevation y.5657■ xaszs . . .s/o 51^ �Of the more than two hundred sites visited, sixty­ seven have been chosen for inclusion in this book. The selection includes wild towns, quiet camps, some well-known ffhost towns, and a smattering of "unknowns." It has been a loner but enjoyable endeavor locating and visiting each of these sites. Darkroom work and writing of the text has brought added satisfaction. I wish an equally pleasant experience to all those who tour "Helldorados I <£ Hinias Camps and— flUowxts of the^^Southwest.” gaxtion aditorr Chanue -last oontonoo t-o-fit tit ■^elected ■ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Contents and Preface Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_ContentsPreface Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/5713b92395a1db8541e8a972754e61f3.pdf 235c0d92d30f7cf2d1c5b68432baf38e PDF Text Text PART I S==- s CALIFORNIA �__ > AT?ALIPaFi'''IA Aq?A --------------- ■^'—■< - ggaao gorpo, OALiFJRxmiL^ Mortimer Belshaw was a shrewd man. wardly Shrewd! Ou^ Belshaw showed only mild interest in the sample of silver-bearlny quartz shown around by a iiexioan prospector. He inquired of other deposits in the area, and when told that tralena was found nearby He knew he immediately laid plans. that the lead found in yalena was necessary to subtract silver from its ore. controlled the lead could control The man the silver, and Belshaw figured to be that man. Belshaw arrived in Gerro Gordo in 1868. Prospectors were swarmlna about the rounded, almost fat hills for which the site was named. While the prospectors sought out and claimed the silver, Belshaw quietly sewed up most of the galena deposits. He hastened to spread the word that he planned to build a smelter, then promptly traded one-fifth of his imaginary smelter for one^ third of the Union Mine, the last hold-out containing highsqualitv calena. With a few ingots laboriously smelted from his best ore samples, Belshaw headed for San Francisco. Financier Abner B. Sider looked at the ingots, believed Belshaw*s claims, and promptly The Union Minlnsr Company was formed offered to back the enterprise. By ral(l*^ummer from Owen's Lake the partners had constructed a wagon road up the steep slopes to Gerro Gordo. climbed ^,800 feet in its eight serpentine miles. spot a tollTSite was Installed. plan to miss a trick. The road At one narrow Belshaw and partner didn't The fee was $1.00 per wagon, two bits -1- �per rider. The partners soaked everyone^ and took a double whaok at competitors, Belshaw was a talented engineer, designing and huild-f ing a smelter capable of turning outtons of lead-silver amalgam each day. Charged with coke and coal, and making use of a unique doubletboiler principle, it constituted a major breakthrough in contemporary smelting. One hundred and twenty bars of lead-silver amalgam were poured and hauled out each day. With rear wheels chained and skidding, and front wheel brakes frequently applied, the elyhtsmule teams slipped and slid down the road, traversing dozens of tight switchbacks. The bars were transferred to steamers at the east bank of Owens Lake, then again loaded on wagons at the west bank and hauled to San Francisco. The Union Mining Company built a second smelter in 189QAand nroduction doubled. Traffic increased on the toll road O' <— as other mines expanded production. A new smelter at Swansea, on the shore of Owens Lake, made lowersgrade ore a paying pronosltion in spite of Belshaw's tollroad rates. Belshaw tried to lure business away from the Swansea Smelter by letting the tollroad go bad. This limited the loads that could be carried in the wavons, and in effect raised the toll. Competing mines either raid Belshaw's high smelting fees or forked over a healthy toll. Belshaw's competitors attempted to build a new road in to Gerro Gordo, but efforts proved fruitless. -2- The canny �Belshaw had nlaced his toll road In the only usable spot! Some disgruntled folk established a tent town below Belshaw’s toll*^ate and hiked cross-country a mile or so to Oerro Gordo for supplies and entertainment. The fifty-six teams of mules that hauled freight to Cerro Gordo continued to pay Belshaw’s heavy toll. Later an aerial tramway was built, easing the stranglehold of the toll road. Mo engine was required to cower the tram>* way, since its problem was one of slowing the head Iona: dowi^ Elaborate braking mechanisms *t were utilized, and freight was put in the buckets on the "up" hill run of oretladen buckets. line when possible. seventies. The town prospered during the - with the popu­ lation riding between two and three thousand. houses were flourishinar. Several sporting The dance halls of Lola Travis and Maggie Moore were busy, and the American Hotel, opened in I87I, continued to do business in spite of spectacularly high rates. When a younsr doctor came to town intending to open a practice. he was confronted with drunks, fights, and even gunplay. The doc left town A same eveninv. Cerro Gordo enjoys a unique setting. Thirty miles away, to the northwest, 14,495:foot hiinih i4ount Everest towers over the dry flats of Owens Lake, besting Cerro Gordo and its adjacent peak by more than a mile. To the east, avain thirty miles away, is a "sink" fed Infrequently by Salt Creek and the -3- �Amargosa Hlver. Better known as Death Valley, its elevation is 282 feet BELOW sea level. Midway between the highest and lowest points in the continguous states, Cerro Gordo enjoys a climate that is the best of the two extremes. Days are warm and dry -- nights pleasantly cool. Barby and Jack Smith have owned the mine and town since 19^9. They charge a dollar to visit the place, and it's well worth it. Their protective presence has prevented the slow^certain destruction suffered by other ghost towns. They have made few changes, except that Jack now claims the town has running water — he runs and gets it twice a week. Most spectacular in town the old American Hotel, still replete with square nallft balcony, gazebo, and hugJi kitchen stove. The trestle of the Union Mine curves over the northern extreme of the business district. A threes crib sporting house still stands next to a string of buildings that once served as stores, warehouses^and machine shops. Occasional >11^ bottles diggers are permitted limited access. The old mine dump had been used as a garbage dump, with fresh rock tumbled over each day's refuse, creating a o gold mine of old bji^ttles inconveniently spread at the extreme bottom of the huge waote dump. Fred Kille, teacher and ghost town hunter, has poked and dug around the area extensively. He has located a number of little-known settlements and mines, particularly in the Panaraint Valley, next to and parallel to Death Valley �His bottle collection Is outstanding. We discussed the hazards Involved In digging for bottles and the additional thrills Involved In getting to some of the area’s ghost towns. He and his wife consider the road to Gerro Gordo enjoyable." "tame and My opinion differed greatly. The road is narrow and steep — so steep that my eight miles an hour, (admittedly tired) pickup could make no more than S—floor- boarded. It had not been an enjoyable trip up the hill. The sun was flat In my face on the steep grade a mile below town. The road, was but a narrow shelf, and^as I rounded out on top, the sun on the dusty windshield blocked all vision ahead. I locked the transmisslon^Jam^d on the brake, and got out to I did, for the road doubled back have a look. It was well to the right. Dead ahead was nothing but space. The only part of the road I enjoyed was the parking place at the end of It. Going down the hill the next day, I was thinking about the chainlocked wheels on the ore wagons that used to skid around the bends. turn I forgot about the blues sky hairpin and got the same damned unwanted thrill a seond time. MAP MOTfis Gerro Gordo and a number of small satellite towns and mining camps are shown on the Mew York Butte, California a 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map, �SWANSEA, CALIFOaVIA Trailing broad wakes and spouting dense clouds of smoke, the steamers Mollie Stevens and Bessie Brady often met in the middle of Owens Lake. Each in turn carried wood on. the ^^smile Journey eastward and silver-lead amalgam Sighty-flve feet long on the return, and shallow of draft to suit the meager depths of Owens (salt) Lake, the twin steamers plied between Cartasro at the southwest bay and Keeler and Swansea on the northeast shore. Swansea, named for its larger twin in Wales, was a smelting town. Silver ore from the Inyo Mountains near Cerro Gordo was processed here, with the aid of the local lead and salt deposits. Lead ore in the form of galena came from the Sunset, Union, Morning Star, and Cerro GordOy^nes. Unfortunately the salt of Owens Lake was of the carbonate variety, unusable for smelting. The proper chloride salt lay miles away, over the top of the Inyo Mountains hill north to Salt Lake, and down^ A tramway carried salt up the ^OOs foot climb through Daisy Canyon from Salt Lake to the mountain pass, then down to a port at the north end of Swansea. The huge furnaces at Swansea turned out I50 bars of silver every hours, each weighing a standard^^ pounds. It is difficult to Imagine the massive operations of smelting and freighting that took place on the shores of Owens Lake. It's especially difficult because Owensr Lake is no more. 8 �The same lonsrtterm change in climate that created extensive salt flats in the area small puddle. reduced Owens Lake to a Dried up and crusted over, the treacherous lake defies travel over its surface hy man or machine. Mollie S^tevens and the Bessie Brady are out there The buried beneath the salt, engines rusted and steam whistles silent. The smelter chimneys have fallen^and the houses are almost gone ~ moved or covered with the blowing sand dunes. Only the rock furnaces remain, along with a few buildings of town now owned by the Penn I41nes. Pour miles away the once: busy port of Keaier escapes complete desertion, thanks to the employment demands of a small soda evaporation plant. MAP MOTS: Swansea, Keeler, Salt Lake, and the tramway connect/ Ing the two can be located on the Mew York Butte, California^ 15' minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. �J DA5WIN, GALIFOaNIA rA The story is classic — the party of exhausted men were camped in the Aryus Hange of California. was short, and. their food was R-one. Water Their best rifle was found to be short one of its sights, and the chance of shoot^ Ing game seemed remote. An Indian guide saved, the day by re^ pairing the sight with a chunk of soft/iwhite metal. The memP v • bers of the party knew it was silver and assumed the Indian knew of a considerable deposit ~ but escape from the hostile area was deemed more important than a search for silver. Years later. Dr. 3. Darwin French led a party into the Argus Range to seek out the silver lode. Ft. Tejon rancher Dr. French, a and habitual prospector, had been in the area before^ and was likely a member of the starving party that had passed through earlier. whether It is not clear the Indian’s "Gunsight Lode" was ever found, but good signs were evident, and a number of claims were staked. 'Darwin The town that sprang up was officially named in i860, long after Dr. B. Darwin French had left to prospect elsewhere. The Darwin Hills, east of town, eventually yielded S5 million more than 3 iai^^an-dallars worth of silver. Three smelters operated from 1875 to 1880. The town declined, due to de­ eighties pleted ore bodies, in the late and was reduced to one operation by 1913. 8- �The business district is presently deserted. The pumps at the old gas station are broken -- even the glass disc at the top is fractured, making it difficult to read the label, "Green Streak Gasoline.” At the old school building a crude plywood sign leans on the front, pathetically offering an historic note. It^ confusing message Indicates it was built in I876 but not used until I9OO, then abandoned in 1917. To the north of Darwin's business district extensive remains of a large company town. are the The company town has twice as many homes as Darwin, plus a school and hospital. The huge complex has been closed for years. Row upon row of Identical bachelor's cubicles stand unoccupied, with doors open and windows broken. The wind blows clouds of yellow mill tailings over town, heaping obscurity on top of desertion. MAP NOTEi The Darwin, California,15 minute United States z Geological Survey topograph map shows Darwin and the deserted company town. �HART, GALIFOHNIA^ It Is the llttletknown site that attracts the The desert west of Weedies, dills^ent ,<yhost town hunter. California, Is full of old caTius and deserted towns an Ideal area to explore. Darwin Fetters of Wlpton, California, has poked about the ree-lon extensively. He has relied heavily on the available topographic maps but Is quick to state that he has visited a number of deserted settlements that are not shown on any of the existing topographic maps. I asked Mr. Fetters about the old towns of Vanderbilt, Hart, Barnwell, Ivanpah Sprlnars, Juan, and Crescent, He had been to all of the sites and recommended Hart and Vanderbilt. In ad.dltlon he suggested a visit to a llttleeknown mlnlnor camp called Sasramore and a mysterious place he called Mescal City. Thirty-nine miles east of Baker, California, Hls-hway 15-91 makes a broad bend to the north. blacktop road heads east south. At this spot a lesser and In four miles branches to the In three more miles It angles slightly, then heads In a precisely straight line for the deserted railroad town of Ivanpah. About four miles past Ivanpah the tar becomes gravel, and the Dakar Minerals Development sign can be seen -10- �on the left side of the road, near the site of the old town of Vanderbilt. I was disappointed to learn that the last building in Vanderbilt, an old saloon, had recently collapsed and been cleared away. The lone resident of Vanderbilt, Robert D'Anella, furnished some interesting information about most of the old towns in the area. Including a special note on ‘*^scal Clty,'****^ which he explained had recently been reclaimed. D'Anella sue’crested it would be best if I staved away from that old camp. "They sometimes shoot at strangers up there — trying to protect a contestfAclalm. " With a grin he added, '"course they just shoot to scare you, but then they don't shoot too awful straight either." I decided to look into the Mescal City situation on my way out of the area and to concentrate in the meantime on Hart, Barnwell and Sagamore Gamp. Pour miles south of Vanderbilt the water tower at the site of Barnwell is visible on the left. a gravel road exits to the east. At this point In nine miles the road ends at the foot of Castle MountainyJyvi smack in the middle of the old town of Hart, California. The flats adjacent to the /Mountains are strewn with old boards, barrel hoops, wagon wheel rims, broken bottles, and rusted tin cans of the early 190Q^. -11- The �chimney of the old Norton residence looms at the northwest edore of the townsite. Toward the slopes are remains of a seconds effort mining operation involving a white clay or some clay^ike compound of sodium or potassium. The mineral deposits still on the site are brilliant whiteand*under a noon sun, irritating to the unprotected eye. To the south are the remains of several old gold mines. One of the shafts is said to extend 835 feet down. I dropped a stone, and afterj^l^seconds I could still hear it faintly clattering. To the east is what appears at first glance to be an oil well. Noting the height of the storage tank, it becomes obvious that it was at one time the town's water supply. Robert D'Anella of Vanderbilt told me later that the wooden walking beam and accessory equipment were carted in from San Francisco on a set of ^^foot wheels. A small engine once turned an eccentric operating the walking beam so as to piston water up from the underground pool hundreds of feet below. Gold was discovered in the ledges along the slopes of the mountain in December of 190?. The ore was rich, and promoters and prospectors invaded the territory. Within a month, 300 people were camped on the site, and a newspaper, JShe Hart Enterprise, was selling copies of its first edition. In April a hotel was constructed, and residents of the town were rapidly replacing tent canvas with more substantial material. A post office was finished in May. In December �the bubble burst. year. The town had flourished for exactly one When the mines shut down continue the town's existence. there was little excuse to Hart, it seemed, had always been a long way from anywhere, and^wlthout the mines, the distance increased. The post office held out until 1915. Since that time only sporadic mining has been conducted. Most of the effort was aimed at extracting pockets of clay. The remains of the town are sparse. Rarely can one remnant be spotted from the site of another. The cemetery is located somewhere in the middle of the remains, but in two hours of searchins: I was unable to find it. was a small cemetery Most likely it after all, how many people could have died in a town that itself died one year after it was born? MAP MOTSj The Ivanpah and the Crescent Peak, California^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic maps are both necessary for a proper exploration of the area. �SARW3LL, CALIFORNIA Barnwell now consists of two buildings mill, a water tower, and extensive foundations. a wind^ That’s quite a come^'d^wn for a town that once had a population measured in the thousands. Walking over the site, it is hard to believe such a thriving community could have eXfA Isted here. Little reliable information is available concerning the town. However, according to Robert D’Anella, owner of a number of claims in the vicinity, Barnwell was once the largest town in the recrion and served as the trade center for the entire raining district. Its three slaughter houses furnished meat for the dozens of mine camps in the area. Originally a stage station, the town boomed when the Atchison, Topeka and Sante Pe Railroad built its line on the old wagon route. The stage station grew from two rooms to a respectable hotel. Later the California and Eastern Railroad passed through Vanderbilt and apparently made connection with the Sante Fe within the town’s limits. From Barnwell another spur headed northeast to the mining camp of Juan. The March 31» 189^ issue of >rfie Mining and Scientific Press stated, "The Nevada Southern Railroad is in good order, and regular trips are made to Manvel, four miles from Vanderbilt." No mention is made of Barnwell. Since Barnwell is exactly V miles from Vanderbilt, and no other town site can be found on the map that fits the �description, one must assume that Manvel was another name given the town of Barnwell, There Is considerable confusion in the early literaT^ ture of the Vanderbilt Mining District. Promoters often exZ^ aggerated their holdings while carefully avoiding mention of competing enterprises, and occasionally small communities were misrepresented as bustling cities. Some of the claims made about Barnwell are probably examples of that practice. Barnwell was, however, a major Junction. At least three, and perhaps four, rail lines met there, and wagon roads emlnated from town in three directions. It was truly the "Hub of the Vanderbilt Mining District." Barnwell held that title until the turn of the century, when mines in the area began to fall. The shortahaul railroads shut down — only the Santa Pe remained in operation. Homes were moved from town, and fire destroyed much of the business district. The stage station, the oldest building in town, was spared. It served as a depot for the Santa Pe for a time. When the Santa Pe was relocated to pass through Ivanpah, several miles away, the old stage station was returned to its original pursuit — catering to road traffic. How, as in the beginning, it stands alone, a monument to mark the site of the town of Barnwell — once the "Hub of the Vanderbilt Mining District." �MAP WQT5.I The site of Barnwell is shown on the Crescent , California, Peak^lS minute United States Geolocjical Survey toposjraphic map. �3AGAMQRB MINB CAMP, CALIFORWI^/^ Darwin Petters of Nlpton had sald^"take a left a " aA strong mile south past Barnwell, then head to the right — I think — then — well — you’ll know you’re on the right road if you climb up over a saddle and dump into the middle of a canyon." The map showed no road to fit the description. There was a road turning off south of Barnwell, but it led to Live Oak Canyon, Sasramore Canyon was shown complete with a road along the stream bed, but there was no connection be<^ tween the two roads — no way to "dump" into the middle of the canyon. It would be appropriate/^to give detailed instructions hepe-afr-4^ how to locate Savamore Camp, but the network of littleiused roads makes that nearly impossible. It took me several hours to run half a dozen trails to their destinations in order to find the correct one. On the way out I simply headed east, eventually locating the Barnwell road, but again I found some unexpected dead ends. You w^l^ know you are on the right road when you drive through a gate^ a dry wash, and start a climb up a winding^rocky road with a steep drop-off into another dry wash to your right. to let a wheel spin occasionally The road is steep enough and rough enough to require dodging any unwanted meeting between boulder and differential. This is the road that "dumps" into the canyonTTfOnce in Sagamore Canyon mine shacks become visible on the left, and �an old railroad grade takes off straight ahead. With a ^^ep you can find your way down to the dry stream bed drive up the bed a couple of miles to "tin camp." then It’s another mile up the canyon to "rock camp^ and even with a ^eep it’s best to cover this section on foot. TIP ^mp is the result of Sagamore’s only major rework. Sight or ten men were employed mining the tungsten^ overlooked in the original extraction of silver. The largest of the several corrugated sheds is still liv(?able and occa­ sionally used. A paper plate tacked on the wall bears the following message: f^Thanks for leaving this cabin in such a k-* . oroddam mess. O.K. to use for shelter. Thanks for stealing the stove ” you can buy an antique exactly like it for 118 in town," The location of the camp, smack in the bottom of the canyon, is a tribute to the dry climate. In any valley but this one, rain pattering on a tin roof would most likely lull one to sleep. In Sagamore Canyon it is reason to start packing. On up the canyon, extensive rock structures line the dry creek bed. of mortar. A chimney on the right stands without benefit Above it, serpentine rockworks form the abutments for the old railroad line that stretched several miles from the mine to a point on the canyon rim. I hiked to the mine "by rail," and returned later by *drvwash road." �The old Sagamore Mine head frame stands astraddle feet above the canyon floor. the shaft on a shelf about A tunnel bores into the shelf from below, meeting the shaft at the first level. Nearby are the ruins of several rock: Built prior to I890, they walled, dirt-roofed structures. are very likely the first homes built in the canyon. down the canyon, via the dry:wash road^^ numerous rock walls feet high. stand in line, some more than On Hock forms the front and sides of the buildings, while the canyon wall makes the rear. Missing are the locr roofs and any indication of a wooden second story. Slther flood or fire, perhaps both, wegg responsible for the destruction. Back in Vanderbilt, D'Anella provided some additional information. He had read or heard somewhere that the original camp dated as far back as 186? or and that the camp employed silver men of lead and cooper. smaller amounts The community nrobably numbered more than one hundred souls. When the silver ran out, the mine and camp were abandoned. Many years later in the old mine. Sy then beyond use, requiring tungsten deposits were noted rock camp had deteriorated construction of the newer "tln*^ camp. I mentioned to D’Anella that there was no sign of a mill at Sagamore Gamp or at any of the other mines in the vicinity. -19- �"Most of them were blown up — blown up on purpose^" explained. "Every time Hollywood made a Western, it seems they had to have a big explosion, and old mills were big and real cheap. Blew a lot of them up myself, working for the film companies." Just the thought of it brought a smile to his face. "Used to put dynamite under the eaves and in the foundation corners. Then set off the bottoms and a bit later, on a mill*!?' second delay, blow the roof — spectacular as hell J" explained further. He "That's why you seldom find an intact mill, or even one that's leaned over or collapsed. [4ost of them are scattered in splinters all over the countryside." As I drove back along the road leading toward the interstate highway, I realized my route would take me past *^escal Cltyf^j^he place reportedly protected by trisrgsr-happy guards. I got out the maps, located the turn?^ off, and proceeded full of courage, with telephoto lenses Installed. After traveling several miles along the winding dirt road, my progress was blocked by a sturdy gate, stoutly chained and padlocked, happily precluding any possibility of a confrontation with those Intent upon protecting a contested claim. MAP WOTSj Sagamore Camp is shown southwest of Barnwell on the Crescent Peak, Californla^lS minute United States Geolo­ gical Survey topograuhic map. END CALIPOHNIA AREA -20- �1 CALIFORNIA AR.^A CARLOCK, CALIPORNI^ The Yellow Aster Mine was rich in gold in water. but poor The mine was awkwardly situated in a deep notoh on the northeast shoulder of Government Peak,pne of the few peaks that make up the Rand Mountains. The highest peaks are less than ^00 feet above the desert flats and are unable to steal moisture from the already dry air. Ore from the Yellow Aster was hauled to the nearest mlllj the mill, of necessity, was at the nearest water. Garlock was such a location. Water pumped and e. piped from a nearby spring was its reason for exlst/^nce the reason for its demise. and later Eugene Garlock, in I896, built a stamp mill here to replace the inadequate capacity of a steam-powered arrastra Ore was hauled a dozen miles to be crushed, separated by water and melted into bars. As the mines Increased their outputs, so the number of mills increased. With the increased demand, X*dL. - and^limlted flow from the snrlngs, water became scarce. Wells dug in the area Improved the supply, and more mills were built At its peak Garlock boasted six mills in the Immediate area. The town claimed two hotels, a grocery, two saloons, and several structures that served multiple purposes. Miller’s rock structure (still standing) was built in 1897 and served as stage depot, store, and bar. �Puellnc: the steam encrines that supplied power for the machinery at the mills proved to be a serious problem. When wood supplies fell short, brush was forked into the Huge quantities were required, and^as a result, T the surroundins- area became thorous^hly stripped of vegetation. furnaces. When the Yellow Aster Mine Company built own mill a few miles east of Carlock in Coler Gulch, part of Carlock moved to Coler Gulch. Later it proved more efficient to pump the water by means of Archimed^^i« Screw through pipes to the site of the mine proper, six miles to the southeast. In 1898 a spur of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Pe reached the mines on Rand Mountain, and most of the ore was Most of Johannes*^ the reraaininor residents of Carlock moved to Randsburg and A then shipped to Sarstow for more efficient extraction. burg, and by 1902 only two families remained in Carlock. In 1911 the Southern Pacific built its track^'^^rough Carlock, and the town was given another breath of life. salt mining was undertaken on nearby Koehn Dry Lake. Later, A few families moved in and the post office was reopened, but in 1926 Carlock re-expired when the post office closed for the last time MAP WOTS: Details of the area^showlne a great number of jeep tralls^can be found on the Carlock, California^7^ minute United States Geological topographic map. More of the older sites are named on the 19^3 Saltdale and Randsburg, California^lS minute mans. -22- �ATOLIA, CALIFORNI4/~^ Atkins and DeGolia, two officers of the Tungsten Mining Company, each offered a part of t^^^ name, and the combination came out "Atolia." Some claim that DeGolia only jUvocT donated the "lia" and.a third man, Pete Osdlck, furnished A the '% •' The town grew around a number of tungsten mines and reached its peak population in 191^ and 1915. Seside dences were wit^y scattered, the flat^rolling land providing an unusual roominess for a mining town. C, H. (ysiim^^aiffle, of Red Mountain, just to the north, spent most of his life in the mines of Atolia. There is a modern plant to the south of Atolia, and a few folk n live nearby. Slim draws an imaginary line ^ear the plant and calls the numerous deserted mines, houses^and ruins to the north "Old Atolia." Most of the buildings are ramshackle and the mines long deserted^ wood bleaching in the sun, ore cars rusting on the dumps. Many of the old mines utilized slanted shafts aboutdegrees off vertical, permitting the skip to skid up and down on wooden rails. "It’s always been the tungsten we were after," says Slim. lA "In fact, we used to use chunks of the ore — scheelite that was down at Tim O’Connor's/glaloon. * Just a ten^ really, but he Called it the Bucket of Blood ." for poker chlps^y^ Slim didn’t elaborate, but high-grading must have been a way of life. It was a simple matter to slip some of �the better samples In lunch pail or pocket. It wasn’t considered exactly les^al, but then the mine owners exoected it and ignored the loss as lony as it was minor. The prac*J3^ tice was an early type of frincre benefit. The Union No. 1 Mine west of the old town was the best hole and no doubt offered the best opportunity to pocket an evening’s supply of poker chips. Outside of the usual hotel, livery, poollhall* and I saloon, Atolla had a picture show and a dairy. The town hit its first boom in 1914 during World War I, and the population reached several thousand. Shortly after the war, Charlie Taylor and Charlie Churchill, owners of some of the best holdings, sensed an impending bust. They sold out, and within a few years the bottom fell out of the price of tuna:sten. The population of the town, already depleted, shrunk to a stubborn few. The area abounds in back roads and old ruins. Nearby Red Mountain, Johannesburg, and Randsburg, all old mining towns, are well worth a visit. A back road connecting Randsbure- and Atolia makes a circle tour possible. MAP NCTSi The 1911 Randsburg, California.15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows some of the back roads and many of the old mines. -24- �gjOLGAHPIi; CAMP, gALIFoa^TIA 31a‘ht miles north of Barstow on the Gamp Irwin Highway, a graveled route called the Copper City Hoad exits six and. a half to the north. Sxactlv 4^^ miles along this road and Just over a low pass, a nondescript dirt road heads to the northwest. At this point a multiplicity of interlacing back roads and dunes buggy trails makes eyeball navigation a must. Goolgardie Gamp is exactly Qmiles northwest of the junction and in line with a prominent, but unnamed^knob that rises 800 feet above the flats of Goolgardie Gamp. The remains of the old placer camn are sparse, but the scenery is great. The Joshua^^^ees are magnificent, many of them growing taller and broader of trunk than the revered specimens in the Joshua ’'Tatlonal Forest. Space is plentiful, water is scarce. If you wish to pan out some sand, be sure to include extra supplies of water. There are several active claims in Goolgardie Gamp, suggesting that care be taken in the choice of panning sites lest one be guilty of accidental claim- Jumping. Dozens of old^deserted mines are to be found in the area, and a number of geologic features carry names that Invite insnectlon. There are Opal Mountain, Inscription Canyon, Superior Lake, xlalnbow Basin, and Fossil Canyon. of Goldstone to the northwest The old town has a wall or two still stand-***^^ ing, and to the southeast is the site of Bismark. fA JJear Bismark is the restored "ghost town" of Calico — possibly -25- �worth a visit — If you like crowds and enjoy a carnival atmosphere. MAP WOTEi The Opal Mountain, Lane Mountain, Barstow, and Daygett, Californla^lS minute United States Geoloylcal » Survey topographic maps are all required to tour the area. -26- �1 CALIFOaNIA AaSA 4 L 3^, = ' MASONIC GALIFJR^TIA^ Traces of gold were found in the narrow, unnamed gulch in I860. Although rich deposits were present just below the surface, it wasn't until 1900 that Joe Green scratched away the overburden to bring the yellow color to light. The vein revealed was rich, and Joe promptly laid out his claim. Appropriately, he registered the find as Jump Joe Mine.*^ Two years later Dorsey located a richer vein nearby - Phillips, Bryan^and which became known as the '’Pittsburg Liberty.**” By 1907 a sizable camo filled the ^ulch, separating naturally into three sections — upper, middle, and lower, where the @;stamp Liberty Mill was sited. Although the popu­ lation of all three added up to no more than 500, a great many of the 500 were Masons, and it wasn’t lonsr before a hall was built. Soon another was constructed and the town named Masonic. In 1910, after three good years and $600,000 in bullion extracted, the Pittsburg Liberty Company went broke. The body of Phillips, one of the owners, was found at the bottom of the Liberty^aft. Some claimed suicide, others murder, but the records called it an accident. A second attempt to mine the ^Ich was between 1933 and 1938, By that time the town had become nearly -27- �deserted, and the new mining did little to attract new citizens. Masonic has been vacant for more than twenty years. A few shacks and a log building mark the site of Middle Masonic. More shacks, mill ruins, and a rock;walled is left of Lower Town. all that Sven the overhead tramway cables have fallen. Upper town holds a pitiful remnant of collapsed * shacks and stubborn log corners. Mot a trace remains of the Masonic Halls, but^ according to the map, the name Masonic has survived. It is found on every geologic feature of note withinmiles of town. There is Masonic ©(ulch. Masonic Mountain, Masonic Spring, and Masonic Greek’^ but there is not a single Mason left in Masonic Town. MAP MOTS; The Bridgeport, California^l5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the three sites. �BODia, GALIFOHinA | History at best Is Inexact. Pour authorities give four different versions of the naming of Bodie Town, variously, the first man to find gold in the area was named William Bodey, William S. Body, Waterman 3. Body, and Water^ man S. Bodye. There seemdd to be a tie between William and *»*>* Waterman ^and complete confusion concerning the last name. Town fathers decided to name the place known to be wrong Bodie, a spelling but guaranteed to at least achieve proper pronunciation. The man with the questionable name discovered placer gold at the head of Cottonwood Canyon in 1859. He took his small poke to Monovllle and traded it for a winter’s worth cc of food. He andy^friend, 3. 3. Taylor, set out for Bodie, but a blizzard caught them on the way, Bodie in blankets and went for help. find his friend. Taylor wrapped the exhausted On return he could not In fact, Bodie's body was not found until the following soring. Weather in Bodie was not just a topic of conversation, it was a matter of survival. Many citizens died in the winter of I878 when twenty:foot drifts were common and wood was in short supply. The 8,600tfoot altitude, although it promised m114 summer^^euaranteed severe winters. A Death by man-made violence was also common ~ more common than the church-going faction would desire -29- or the �Chamber of Commerce would admit. shot to death. In one week men were Cj The "Bodie 601" vifrilance ^roup attempted to control the violence by adding lynching as an alternate to murder. The big boom came to Bodie in I878 when the Standard Mine (formerly the Bunker Hill) hit a heavy gold vein. An earlier discovery of gold in a collapsed working was eclipsed by the richness of the new find, which ran to ^^,000 per ton. The rush was on^and the population zoomed from several hundred to 10,000 or more. There were @ newspapers, and0of them were published dailyl A 32smlle railroad was built in 1881, connecting the forested area of Mono Lake with the wood-poor mining town. Quickly Bodie changed from a tent: and: shack community to a wood; and*, brick city. quickly, the boom subsided. And just as As the veins thinned, so did the population, and by 1882 there were fewer than 500 folk rattling about a town built for times their number. But in its short heyday Bodie was a genuine heller. Stages were robbed of bullion so often that the Wells|^argo Company called in their brest shots to ride guard on the money runs. Sixty-five saloon^ gin mills, and ale stoops were in operation — all of them,.making money. The Parole Saloon and the Sawdust Corner sought out the ordinary customer, while the Senate and Cabinet lured the carriage trade. Three breweries supplied the draft, and a handful —--------------------------------------- -30- ' �of churches valiantly fought the flow. It was a loosing battle, and the cry "Goodby^God, I‘m going to Bodie'”’’ be came c o mmon. Polite folk referred to the sinful part of toivn as the "redslight district," but. for the customers. Maiden Lane and Virgin Alley held more than red lights. I^ellle Monroe, Hosa May, "Beautiful Doll(^ and Eleanor Dumont, otherwise called "Madam, Mustache^^ ran houses as respect/-^ able as any establishments in the state. When a hydroelectric power plant of sent electricity on a ^^rmile Journey to Bodie, the lines were laid out straight for fear the mysterious juice could not navigate sharp corners. It worked I When the switch was closed, a motor in Bodie delivered power, satisfactorily operating the hoist of the Standard Mine. The engineers of the system were quickly sought out to build similar install^ whether tions throughout the world. It is not knom they ever ve: tured to curve their lines. The James S. Caln Company owned the Midnight Mine adjacent to the Standard Mine. In 1915 the Standard Mining Company was found guilty of tapping the Midnight's vein. As settlement, the Caln Company was given title to the Standard It was a hollow victory, for there was little gold left in either mine. The railroad gave up service the next year, and only the die-hards remained in town. �In 1962 the State of California designated Bodie in a state of "arrested decay." rebuilding is allowed. The result is Tiarvelous. Looting Is prevented. as It was when deserted. The town remains There are no shops^and there Is no carnival atmosphere. Occasionally a wedding is held, at the old Methodist Church. Sven then the spirit of Bodie is honored, as the participants wear costumes of Bodie's *ooora townera. MAP MOTS: ’Jo The Bodie, California^15.minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the area In detail. -32- �GALIPOHWIA ARaA COLUMBIA. GALIFORNIA^^ After a visit to Bodie it is most appropriate to have a look at Columbia^ a living, operating, faithfully re^ stored city of the late 1800^ In 19^5 the Mate /retrislature voted to preserve Columbia as an historic Mate Z^rk. Careful restoration has been carried out continuously since that time. Here, Instead of peeking ij^the window you can walk in the stores, study the fixtures^ the stock, and sometimes purchase period items from appropriately attired clerks. Columbia, "The Gem of the Southern MinesfjJ has had a colohful history, and. the reporting of its history has been * just as colorful, with exaggerations and embellishments causing and great variation in "fact." a multiplicity of figures Gold was discovered here by Mexicans in the 1840|^J^ or by Doctor Hildreth’s party in 1850. Believing sudden riches might be difficult for foreigners to handle, the Hildreth Party chased off the Mexicans (some deny the Mexicans were there first) and took over the dlggincs. The place was called ^Hildreth’s later, since only "men of the dominant Diggings, nationality were allowed, it was called American Gamp, Within a month 5,000 (some claim up to 8,000) pros^X^ pectors were panning in the area. suggested a name to match. became a town. The magnitude of the camp Columbia was selected, and the ©amp �To alleviate the short supply of water, extensive flumes and reservoirs were constructed. The price of sluice Tuolumne water, as charged by the County Water Company, was so high that within a few years the miners formed their own company and began construction of a sixty*mile aqueduct. 3y 1852 city streets had been laid out^ and. 150 (or was it 180?) businesses were in operation. 3y I853 Columbia was the third largest city In California, with a population of 10,000 (or 15,000). That year a petition was circulated asking the governor to designate Columbia as the Xtate ;?^pitol. The petition, with 10,000 signatures, was stored In the bank, but Senator Goffroth, who was representing a convicted murd.erer awaiting execution, stole the petition and rewrote the first page to read like a pardon for his client. The man was pardoned, and talk of a X^ate yCapitol waned. The city grew, and in 185^ there were 30 (4o) saloons, 1 brewery, 1 (2) churches, 143 (I60) gambling joints, 17 (23) stores, 4 (8) hotels, 7 bakeries, 4 (8) banks, and 2 (3) theat^s. Fire destroyed much of the business district In 1854, and it was rebuilt with brick. partly The miners’ aqueduct was and Columbia’s future looked bright. Throughout Columbia’s history incidents transpired. wildest. Here again a number of bizarre The Barclay lijnching was perhaps the the variations are many. The best second version will again be included in parenthesis. -34- �A fellow named Smith, well under the influence, became annoyed with barmaid Martha Barclay’s foul language and her demands that Smith vacate the premises. Smith re^^ portedly pushed (slapped) barmaid Barclay just as her husband, John, entered. John shot Smith dead on the spot. A friend of Smith's proceeded to lobby against John's logeVtty 'and managed to work up a drunken lynching committee. Once decided, even the /f^riff couldn't stop the gang. Barclay was strung up. using a sluice as gallows. The drunken mob had forgotten to tie Bai^^ay's hands, and Barclay was hanclng on"~^ the rope for dear life. The miners climbed up on the sluice and jerked the rope (hung oiT^o Barclay's legs)kbut Barclay's ccrip was *** t They dropped him repeatedly solid. pr they hoisted a miner atop the sluice to beat Barclay's fists with a pistol butt) until he lost both his grip and his life. Fire ravaszed the central part of town for the second time in 1857. As a result, streets were widened and brick buildings were equipped with fires^ and burglar**^ proof steel shutters. The rebuilding took place in spite of the thinning gold deposits. The hards.rock and placer mines were subject to X great promotions and repeated sales. Salting was a way of life and was carried out in a number of devious ways. Early crude attempts ^ike shotgunning a load of gold into the tunnel walB yielded gold on the surface and none beneath. Only a �heglnner would buy thatand many did. Salting had been a sophisticated art In the Columbia area since 1851. The art may have reached Its zenith when two knowledsreable Chinese, wise to every saltT* Inor method, looked Into the purchase of a placer claim owned by a couple of unprincipled men. The Chln^ ese were on the lookout for pipe smokers, knowing that gold was often put In with the tobacco and the pipes knocked They knew about gold-laden out Innocently In the sluice. sweat bands wiped out while held over the gold pan. In fact, they were ready to resist any distraction that might permit the sly addition of gold and the consequent raise In the asking price of the claim. The Chinese selected the spot to dig their own shovel. and used The sellers were kept at a distance. ’■(Then the sluice was half filled, a rattlesnake fell off a nearby hummock, right on to the spot where the Chinese were digging. Quickly one of the sellers fired his shotgun, klll>- Ing the snake and saving the Ilves of one or more Chinamen. After profuse thanks were given, the Chinese continued digging, filled the slulcey.and washed It through. A surT' prlslnv amount of dust was found In the riffles, and the claim sold for a fancy price. worked again. The old shotgun trick had The "live" snake had been dead, but the -36- �gun shot was real — gold dust I J the lead had been exchanged for 3ret Harte put it well when he wrotej "The ways of a man with a maid may be strange, yet simple and tame To the ways of a man with a mine when buying or selling the same." The gold just plain ran out in the late fifties. Mo amount of salting or promoting could save the town. Columbia declined rapidly in i860. Host of the population reduction occurred that one year as thousands deserted the town. A number of buildings were razed and the ground beA neath hydraullcked for gold, right down to bedrock. The great imajorlty of the old buildings of Columbia have survived. 5very year another building is restored to permit full operation. Slowly the "Gem of the Southern Hines." Columbia is again becoming �MAP MOTS: The Columbia, Californl^7^ minute United States Geolos:ical Survey topocrraphic map shows the area in great detail. tail The 15 minute map of the same area shows less de­ but more of the surrounding area. -X- �fourth ch0531 NG, CALIPORN^ A Three accounts place Fourth Crossing in three different places. :2ven the plaque at the site mentions a location other than the one occupied. Apparently the original Fourth Crossing was on the South Pork of the Calaveras River, miles west of the present site. It was probably moved shortly after its establishment to an easier crossing of San Antonio Creek. In spite of the relocation, it remained the fourth crossing on the Stockton-Murphys Stage Road. Grace Bonte has lived in the old stage depot, now a sheep ranch headquarters, since 1926. She states that the toKjn once boasted nearly two hundred inhabitants, centered about a hotel-saloon-stage station combination, and an expan­ sive livery. A s-eneral store, schooly^and residences probably made up the balance of the community. Originally both placer and Fourth Crossing was a mining town, 'hard®rook . were the best producers. The Later Thorp and North Shaft the town became an Important stage and freight depot, serving the southern mines of California’s mother lode. The narrow, one-way bridge handled traffic adequately until the turn of the century, by which time the mining effort had declined. Now the old hotel-stage station is overgrown with trees and the bridge, lined on both sides with woven-wlre fencing, is reserved exclusively for sheep and foot traffic. -39- Across �the creek, and on the opposite side of the road, are a few deserted buildings of the postsI9OO era. One, an old-style gas station, would indicate that the onecway bridge was used for auto traffic before being replaced with a wider bridge a short distance upstream. I4AP MOTS I Fourth Grossing is centrally located on the San Andrea^ Galifornla^l5 minute United States Geological Survey toposeraphic map. �The cannon was loaded, primed^and aimed level The Confederate sympa4 down the main street of Volcano. thizers suddenly halted their march on the Union Forces. A flanking move was tried, but the Blues quickly swunc? the muzzle of *^ld Abe-^to bear on the Grey leader. assault died. The Volcano remained a Union town. It is well that Ajld Abewas not used, for the "cannoneer" had overloaded the weanon, and if fire^ it would have blown up, doiny more damage to its handlers than to the target MQuW hftvo infon the target It all began when Confederate sympathizers s^^ cretly organized a branch of the "Knights of the Golden Circle." e Discovery of the existence of the protsouthern group led to the formation of the "Volcano Blues." The Blues, forty-one strong, were equipped with uniforms and small arms. An undercover agent was planted in ‘^he Knights^ and it was learned an attempt would be made to take over the town and divert the gold to the southern cause. To gain the needed edge in fire power, an old ship's cannon was purchased by the *^lues*^and hauled in secretly from San Francisco. The cannon was hidden in a remote shop while a carriage was built for it. in place of ball and grape shot. -w- Rounded rocks were used It was fired only once. �and that time for effect only — just to keep the *Knights in line. Volcano is one of California’s oldest mining towns. Its boom population of 5>000 time. dwindled into a handful at one Mow it numbers almost a hundred. old town has been maintained. The flavor of the There are no neon signs or gas stations in, or even near^the town. 7 more than 120 years old. Many of the buildings are Gold was found in this crater^like but non^volcanic area in the summer of 1^48^ I’lembers of the Mew York^t Regiment Mexican War Volunteers ^hose presence in the area has never been satisfactorily explained) find placer gold in the streams. severe, and in the spring The winter of ’45^was two Mexicans happened upon the diggings and found the bodies of two soldiers. Word of the strike spread, and soon the valley. Inevitably called Gulch, Soldiers’ was swarming with prospectors. The town grew quickly, as ordinary placer techni|>- ques were replaced with larcres.scale hydraulic operations. $90 million 2ventually, d silage worth of gold was to be ex^ tracted. By 1858 the town had five churches, a school, various social clubs, three butcher shops, a theat^^, three breweries, and a dozen times that number of saloons. town had the first library and the first astronomical observatory in California. The �After the Civil War and in 1868 production of gold slacked, a number of very well: insured buildings burned to the ground. The old Sibley Brewery, built in 1858, is the only brewery surviving. The jail stands unused at the two-by-twelves north end of town, its double-walled 13»c sandwichinv sheets of boiler plate. It is claimed that the two men built it got drunk on their pay ij.ail's first occupants. 60 and ended up as the Across the street, the old Chinese store is in operation as the *^radlng Post.*** Beside it, locked securely in its tailor-made enclosure, "^Old Abe*^ points its muzzle down main street, re-enacting the day it won the war in Volcano, WOTS: t The Mokelumne Hill, California^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey tonographlc map shows Volcano and many other historic sites. -43- ^2- �PaaNCH CORRAL, CilLIFORNIA Elton 0. Smith, born in 1901, has lived in French Corral all his life. His grandparents are buried in the He attended grammar school and hip-hZ cemetery west of town. school in the old school-community center, remodeled from one of French Corral’s boomstime hotels of the 1850^. There were 0 youngsters in his graduating class. We stood in front of the old school enjoying the late afternoonsun, visiting about the town as Slton knew It. "That screened-ln building in front of the school? 1^ feet — ’course It goes way on down. © There are benches in there — screens keep out the bugs— ’course it's leaning now. into it with their car." Someone ran Elton was the janitor at the school for a time, receiving $27.00 per year for his morning flre-building and evening sweejT^p. "We had a fancy bell up in that tower at one time, he pointed to the vacant tower. "had three hundred dollars kA * worth of silver in it — before they poured, they melted silver dollars right in it! Someone stole it. The bell broke loose^and they dropped it on the roof -- knocked a big hole in it. Sheriff got it back. Supposed to be locked up in the old Well^^argo building now. " �Concerning the boom years in French Corral, Elton Smith related some stories passed on to him by his parents, fifties. "There were ^00 people here in the Lots of hydraulic work going on. It was a wild place. then went wild on Sundays. ^days Men worked Lots of drinking ~ some men crawled home on their hands and knees." Elton pivoted to look toward the center of town.—"On the Fourth of July one year they dug a cannon in, set it right in the center of town, and a man named Bradford loaded it up. Everyone moved He had overloaded it, and it back, and Bradford set it off. blew his head off — rolled(4^ feet away, the head that isl He’s burled in the cemetery, head and all." I was tempted to ask if Bradford had moved in from Volcano. The town started in 18^9/^when a French settler built a corral to hold his mules. When placer gold was found in the San Juan Hidge, a town grew around the corral. Giant hydraulic guns tore the gold out of the surrounding hillsides. The Haker Act of 1888, one of this country's first environmental laws, brought hydraulic operations to a halt. French Corral faded rapidly. Now less than^^ people reside in the area. The map of Area 5 does not extend north far enough to Include French Corral. In lieu of a map, one can drive west of Grass Valley, through Rough and Ready to Casey Corner. Two miles west of Casey Corner, the Bridg^ port road exits to the right. About seven miles to the north �the road crosses the South Fork of the Yuba River at the site of the old town of Bridgeport, where an astounding wooden covered bridge still spans the river. French Corral is three miles beyond the bridge to the northeast. The present Bridgeport road was originally called the Virginia Turnpike, a toll'^^ad servicing the northern extreme of the mother lode. The bridge across the Yuba was an important part of that toll*^oad and remains as an ex*^ ample of the excellent workmanship of the era. Built entirely of wood, except for nails and bolts, the bridge clears the river in one cleany^unsupportedy^.2306foot span. It is the longest singletspan wooden bridge in the world, and it is a covered bridge to boot. Built by David Isaac Johnwood in 1862, with wood cut in his own sawmill, the bridge served for^^ years as a toll crossing, then for another (7^years as a public convenience. In 1971 it was closed to heavy traffic. A new highway bridge was built a short distance upstream. Recently the massive wooden bridge was declared a California Historical Landmark, and the Arae rij^ can Society of Civil Engineering declared it a National Historic Civil Snsrineering landmark. It is truly an amazing structure, A dozen miles to the northeast, near Camptonville, another wooden bridge spans the lesser width of Oregon Creek. This bridge, built in i860, has developed a mild swayback but �is still rated safe for 17,000tpound loads. The -bridtre was floated off its foundations when English Dara broke in 1883. It was pulled back in place, wrong end to, by ox teams. California has much to offer in the way of historic sijrhts. It abounds in ghost towns of all varieties. Its covered bridges are an unexpected bonus. MAP MOTS, y 15 minute The Grass Valley and Nevada City, Californla/»^ topographic maps show the area in excellent d e tail. SND CALIFORNIA ARCA 5 END CALIFORNIA y � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part I: California Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Calif Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/adab7d9919f3f7771b91320284e8728a.pdf adc4ee70e373bf7aea5df401e161bf2e PDF Text Text PAET II ARIZONA �fh re^ J SILVER KING, ARIZONA C. yf Grace Middleton is an uncommon woman. She is young in heart, old in wisdom, and sassy enough to tell you that her exact age is none of your business! Wrinkles have locked her face in pleasant expression, and her eyes hold an unfailing sparkle. She is willing to visit with an occasional tourist but quick to turn away anyone she suspects of souvenir hunting. She is the owner, manager*and sole resident of Silver King, 't Grace and her husband, Gordon, came west to Silver King in 19^9. They were seeking solitude and the opportunity to mine enough silver to maintain their chosen way of life, Gordon, a mining engineer, had figured the mine dump could be reworked. New extraction methods would make the lowzgrade a paying proposition. reject ore A small house was conV^ structed, using lumber from the old mine buildings, and sorting of the dump ore with a bulldozer was undertaken. Grace became adept with the dozer^and on occasion undertook some blasting on nearby claims. When her husband died, Grace decided to remain at Silver King. She may well own the distinction of having lived in the town longer than any other resident, even though she arrived there 75 years after the initial discovery. Her life 7 �is rugged — and she prefers It that way. She has no running water, gas^or electricity. A friend stops by periodically to and take her to town to shop replenish the water supply. She That contentment shows in her face, is content with her life. belying an age of fourscore and more. She possesses a great sense of history concerning her town and has Indeed been an integral part of that history for the past quarter century. In 1872 Pinal Ransre. the army undertook to build a road through One of the steep portions of the road became named after the general in known as Stoneman's Grade, command. Two soldiers, enlistments expired and happy to be free of the road crew, headed for the town of Florence. Near the foot of Stoneman’s Grade they noticed a peculiar outcrop One of them, named Sullivan, collected a few samples, of rock. remarking about their weight. In an attempt to crush the samples, he found that the rock tended to flatten rather than pulverize. Puzzled, but with an idea of what they might have found, the men took the sample^ with them. In Florence, Sullivan showed the samples to a friend, Charles Mason, and apparently left one chunk/sWlth htgi without revealing the location of the find, ) Sullivan went on west, and Mason quickly had the sample assayed. It proved to be nearly pure silver chloride. back along the soldiers' route Mason prospected but failed to locate the outcrop. Three years later. Mason and four friends were packing ore out of the Globe area when they were attacked by Apaches, -S' �One of the party was killed above Stonenian‘s Grade, and his body burled on the pass Owe o:^tho old roadscamp oven^ was utilized as a grave. After descending the grade, the mules were put to water. One of the animals strayed and was finally located on a knoll that held dark, dense outcrops of ore identi^ cal to those Sullivan had showed Mason years before* The four men filed equal claims, and Silver King was born. Two miles north, the Fortuna Mine opened up. An old Mexican wood hauler found that outcrop just under Fortuna Peak, while cutting wood for the Silver King. He sold it for $100,00 " $50 in cash, $50 in liquor. In 1881, after millions in silver had been extracted from the original discovery, a man named Sullivan appeared at the site. He had been west to earn a stake so biMi* he could come back to work his discovery. and town were built atop his find. To his amazement, a mine He was graciously offered a job in the mill. Mason and his friends eventually sold their shares in the mine. The first share went for $80,000^ and third for somewhat more. JPhe second The fourth partner held out for $300,000. Between 1875 and 1888 the Silver King Mine took $17 out -i^mlllion <»o3.1arB worth of silver. Most of it was refined at Pinal City. The stage carrying the bars was held up several times, the robbers escaping over the hills with the bars loaded �on mules. The company solved that problem by pouring the silver out in bars too heavy to be toted by man or mule. Silver Kiner at its peak boasted two hotels, a combination church-school-dancehall, several saloons, and residences for 200 families. Now one is hard pressed to find even the foundations of most of the buildings. The large two- story company headquarters still stands on a knoll overlooking the collapsed remains of the machine shop. Down the hill a bit are two sinsrle-story rock buildings with plastered ln-<^ side walls and tongue:andsgroovefj^ wooden ceilings. Near the rock buildings, on a low hill, stands a small group of frame buildings. Grace Middleton lives in one of these sunbleached structures near the entrance to town, a location necessary for the protection of her property. I happened to stop in tu " Just after she^^had a run-in with some hippies had made s©vgi*sl1 off with windows frames and all'J^ from one of the old residences on the grounds. Her tone was distinctly cool as she told me of the windows and the recent theft of her camera and battery radio. of the vandals. She had been quite abrupt in her treatment She stood in the shade of her doorway, surrounded by her numerous dogs of various breed, and told me of her troubles, slowly graduating to the history of the town and ending with an expression of her deep affection for the place. As I listened, I made friends with the dogs. �An hour later I was proud to be considered a friend of Grace Middleton, Queen of the Silver King. MAP NOTEj The Superior, Arlzona^United States Geological Survey 15 minute topographic map shows the area as it was in 19^8. The 7^ minute map of the same name shows the Silver King area as it appeared at a later date, and in somewhat greater detail. �SONORA. ARIZONA The old 1910 "Ray and Vicinity" map shows a number of satellite towns surrounding the coppertown of Ray. This map, revised in 191? to correct for changes in "culturef^ shows no highways, only graveled roads. The Ray and Gila Valley Railroad Line is shown most prominently. The rail line reached Ray via the Mineral Creek Valley and terminated in a tangle of switch yaixis and side tracks. The mining of copper in 1917 was predominantly, underground. A small open pit is shown between the "M and H" and the *^^bunal "*^hafts on the southwest slope of Humbolt Hill, The Ray, Madeline, Pearl Handle, Hecla, Sun, Flux, and Calumet X^iafts were all within the vicinity of town. The Burbank, Reed, Mineral, and Amanda j3?unnels bored into the hills a mile to the south. The settlement called Ray^^eadquarters of the Ray Mining Company) was established in 1881 and named after the Ray Mine, which had earlier been given that name in honor of its discoverer's sister, Ray. The town proper was built in 1909 by the Hercules Copper Company. By 1915 satellite residential towns^spruny up around Ray, j (^To the northwestwere Boyd Heights and Arnericantown. To the southwest, Sonora and Barcelona occupied the gentle slopes leading to Sonora Hill, �Sonora was the lara-est of the frrouo of satellites^ and^accordin«7 to the map, was composed of sixty-odd square blocks. The town was established in 1912 by the Mexican employees of the Hay Consolidated Copper Company and was named (as were a orreat many Mexican mininc- camps) after the Mexican Xtate of Sonora, on the Arizona border. Buildings lined the perimeters of the blocks. Courtyards were left in the center^ in typical Spanish style. In the center of town, a four-square-block area was reserved for the town hall. Smperor Hill once separated Ray and Sonora, but things have changed radically. The hill is now a deep pit, boundaries ef^h;^h havo encroach®^ uoon the sites of all four of the surrounding towns. have been leveled Barcelona and Sonora but are yet to be excavated. The found^ tions and street patterns are still readily visible. On Sonora Hill, Kenn^cott Copper, the present operator of the mine, ha^ built an overlook permitting a areneral view of the area. One had to stand on or climb over the fence in order to view the remains of the old towns}^ a practice frovmed on e by Kenn^cott, a short hike around the south side of Sonora Hill to the old water tank will provide an excellent view of both townsites. Just when the .town of Sonora was leveled, is indefinite ~ at least*'the^^State Archives could provide no record of the event. That it is leveled is certain, and it’s �only a matter of time before the huge maws of the lan^trippers eat their way through the site, removing all evidence of Sonora’s e existj^nce. MAP NOTSt The Hay and Vicinity, Arlzona^l910 United States Geological Survey topoccranhic/^^map shows all of the old towns mentioned. The 1964 Sonora and Teapot Mountain, Arizona^7^ minute maps show the same area, drastically changed by openx pit mining. �ARIZOMA ARSA 2 CL SAT OR, ARIZONA^ On the flats between Crazy Basin and Turkey Greek, overlooked by Townsend Butte and Hercules Hill, are the rem­ nants of the once thr Ivina- town of Cleat or Orlarlnally called Turkey, the town came Into exist /^nce In 1902 as a sldlna on the Prescott and Eastern Railroad The line was built southward from Mayer to the Grown King Mine first paralleling Cedar Canyon, then climbing abruptly for^^ tortuous miles to the mines Just under 7100sfoot Wasson Peak. At the lower end of the grade, near the point where the tracks crossed Turkey Creek, a siding was built to provide service for the nearby Golden Turkey Mine. Later the siding also served the Golden Belt, St, John’s, Gray Goose, Silver Cord, and Golden Pheasant >Mlnes, In 1903 the siding had accumulated a store, saloon, and a number of residences. That year the settlement was granted a post office under the name of Turkey. L. P. Neills ran the saloon and store. owned the town. He literally He wasn’t too happy being a towns owner, often stating that he would rather run cattle on his nearby spread than ride herd on his saloon patrons. James Patrie Cleator, sailor turned prospector, stopped by the saloon In 1905. Neills and Cleator, over a drink or two, developed a fast friendship. Within the day �they had formed a partnership which eventually found Cleator running the store and Silis the cattle. The town grew as new mines opened. Within a dozen years the population reached an estimated :^00. SSe old picture taken during this period g^»^wogp^ore than sixty substantial frame homes, with a second^ncountable group of residences in a poorly focused background. In 1925 the postal department, claiming confusion between Turkey and another similarly named post office, re quested a name change, James Patrie Cleator (pronounced Cleeter) was no doubt Instrumental in choosing the new name Soon CLEATOR replaced TURKEY on the saloon’s false front During the late twenties and early thirties, the mines closed down one after the other, stricken by the epidemic schoolhouse of the depression. During the thirties a rock was V/FA built with WrA*. labor, and the original schoo converted to a residence. When the railroad abandoned service in 1933, Cleator suffered a second shrinkage. away Most of the homes were hauled and the steel works of the mines scavenged for scrap, James Cleator became the sole owner of the remains of the town, and in 19^7 he decided to sell it ~ store, saloon residences.and all. He promptly placed an ad in the Arizona r ------------ Republic, The ad created a lot of interest and a sudden surge in business but failed to result in the sale of the town or �any part of it, James Cleator died In 1959. and his son took over the town. Today the store and a saloon remain with little chanye. The brands of yasollne and booze have changed. town now has 0 or T residents, according to a gentleman en joying a cold drink at the store. He explained that the population estimate had to remain Indefinite "cause you don't know when someone goln' to the big city ain't coming back." MAP l'TOTSs 01 eat or Is shown on the Mayer, Arizona 15 s United States Geological Survey topograohlc map �■AHIgJMA PITJTQ DlOgAIPriJir? .Mo. 70 • Grace Middleton, Queen ofSilver King^ * Mo. 71. Collapse o^^chine ^ed at «w Silver King Mine Is Imminent. . No. 72 . Company headquarters and guest house of the Silver King Mining Company x^as one of the first resident tlal buildings in Arizona to have electricity. . No. 73 • Hockcwalled and rocksroofed, this tiny house was once home to a hard-rock miner. • No. 7-^ . The remains of Sonora in the foreground will soon become e part of the expanding open pit of the Kenn^ott Mine. < No. 75* Undated photo shows the two main residential districts of Cleator. Hospital is at upper left. . No. 76 • The Cleator General Store as it appears todav^ �caow?^ KING, ARIZONA "Used to be more excitin bein’ there," claimed. gettin’ there than That’s what the olds-timer from near Mayer His description of the road to Crown King, along the old railroad grade. Included wild tales of driving the route in his Model A Ford. "Used to hang on the uphill side the tires on the rails off the ties," and keep nudgin’ so’s outside wheels wouldn’t drop His descriptions were liberally seasoned with strings of cuss words. Some combinations were as In^ ventlve as they were unprintable "When they took the rails up — that’s when it got J, X. a dam^site more hellish^" stated then proceeded to eX' plain about the switchbacks, "Those old switchbacks — they was the original switchbacks." He zigzagged his hands."They went like /A ' that — no turns. Just drove into it, stopped, threw the switch, then backed up to the next one, stopped, threw that switch, then pulled ahead to the next." He saw me taking notes, I answered that I intended to. rather stay unanimous." "You gonna print this?" "Well, in that case, I’d I told him I’d Vote for that. eyes took on a suspicious slant. His He paused, shifted his teeth, and then worked his way into another bunch of stories �Mostly the olds-timer talked about his prospectinc; days down in Nevada, around Gold Point. In the process of getting some information about Grown King, I ended up with so many stories about Gold Point that I determined to enter that town on my "must visit" list. I asked about the present condition of the road up to Crown King. "Tame " tame ~ wide as hell. Why they hauled a whole damn mill up there once, back when the road weren't so good." The road was a delight. The magnificent view never failed to calm the mild case of nerves generally encountered on precarious paths. Of particular note were the narrow one­ way rock cuts, unchanged from Wte railroading days. At first sight Crown Kino; did not appear to fit the description of a ghost town. Too many people wandered about, and too many cars passed by. It's only after a 001^^*^ plete tour that one can appreciate the number of old buildings remaining and subtract the effect of the remodeling and reuse of others. The general store is still in business, little changed for nearly 100 years. Most of its trade is seasonal, and most of the traffic consists of vacationers attempting to elude the ooo1 Arizona heat by escaping to the oot altitude of the Bradshaw Mountains. The old saloon looks exactly as an old saloon should. This venerable structure has had a number of names over the �door, the most recent being "Andersons’s and Van Tllborsr’s," Enough business remains in town to support a parts time barman, otherwise employed as a welder. It seems strange that a welder could make a living at his trade in this remote loca3^ tion, but dozens of smailt time mining operations are still perking in the area. Jury-rigged equipment, assembled from second^^nd parts, makes for frequent breakdowns and crood business for the bartender-welder. Gold was found in the Bradshaws in the early 1875?s. The rush that followed, termed the "Bradshaw Excitementf^ suited in the location of a number of paying mines. King was thought to be the finest The Grown but remained primarily a promoter's dream, due to the refractory nature (refusal to break down with heat) of the ore. The miserable nature of the ore was noted early, and only the best was sorted out and sent to Prescott by mule train Later the quality of the ore Improved, giving cause for a railroad to be built. As was usually the case, the railroewi brought prosperity to Grown King, and the population zoomed. There was no room for a roundhouse or circular turnaround. A triangular "back around" was built, utilizing the narrow creek beds that join at the towrCsite. The business part of town grew along one side of the triangle, and residences were built along the remaining legs. The Grown Kins: Mine closed tewn. in 1900. due to litigation. Gontinuing operations at the surrounding mines �kept the town and railroad solng. About 1910 Crown Kina: added two "used" saloons, the town of Oro Belle, a few miles to the south, had lately become deserted. Its two saloons were dismantled and hauled by mule back over the steep, narrow trail connecting: the two towns. He-/assembled, the access to hard liquor Improved, and the strict town rule agalns'^j weeks day drlnklna: became an unenforceable blue law. In the thirties, dumps at the Crown King Mine were S2.5 reworked. Assay reports showed that million In gold could be reclaimed. Porsrotten was the fact that this ore had been rejected as refractory. mill. Half a million was Invested In a new Fifty men were hlredAand the fading town of Crown King took on new life. Soon It was determined that the ore was resistant to the mill's best efforts. Managers were fired and new ones hired, yet the gap between assayed expectations and mill returns remained narrow — too narrow to allow profit. The mill closed. ' Some years later the post office was discontinued. Perhaps Crown King's most Interesting era was shortly after Its regular train service was curtailed. During this period It Is reported that autos, horses, foot traffic, and even occasional trains were using the same route. Automobiles frequently bounced down the ties, and passengers held their collective breath on the trestles. �The old duffer from Mayer had told me "you could scare hell out of you. look down throucrh those ties 200 feet And after they took up the rails betterl" the view got a daijlslte He gave me a cornering look, and I figured he was about to give my leg a calculated tug, "You know, we used to go up to the dance there every Saturday night. The guy drlvln* was supposed to stay sober, but we got to celebratin’ and didn’t keep count on him. We come down those tracks about dawn — ’course I wasn’t seeln’ too good, but I'd swear we passed that train on theswitchbackI" MAP MOTE: Crown King and surrounding sites are shown on the Crown King, Arlzona^l5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. Of interest are Lukes Hoist, Oro Belle, Fort Misery, and the Horse Thief Basin,Recreation Area. �OaO B3LLS. ARIZONA f Prom Grown Kin® In a half mile south. mile an excellent crravel road heads a branch heads west, and in another a Jeen road angles toward the south. A sign Indicates that Oro Belle Is^ that dlrectlon|^miles awayj'but also warns that passenger cars should not attempt It. It Is a fairly good Jeep road sized pickup. Actually but somewhat narrow for a full- I swallowed hard and often for two of thdse three miles, Oro Belle once occupied both legs of a swifcdhbaak. Now only a few shacks and tanks can be found on the uphill stretch. Across the gully and down the other side of the switchback are a number of old buildings, all of the ghostly qualitytotally befitting a completely deserted town. The most outstanding Is a large rock structure " probably the mine office and company store. It has fancy^embossed metal trim In both scroll and brick design. OnS wall leans out over the road, making It nearly Impassable. Behind this building, and Implying that more substantial buildings once existed. Is a rock wall more than 150 feet long. Built Into this wall Is a vault, Its door missing, reportedly stolen In the past few years. Apparently a bank or more company buildings once fronted the wall. To the south are several old frame buildings. one of them The cupola above would Indicate It had a need to expel un< wanted heat, which would make It an assay office a cook shack. or possibly �Somewhere alonsr the lower main street were located two saloons, a few stores, a deputy sheriff’s office, and a Justice of the peace court. For all law enforcement, it would be reasonable to assume that a sporting house or two also flourished here, although available history concerning the town makes no mention of such establishments. In the late iSpoTs >■ Georve P. Harrina:ton obtained title to some claims in the area. He shortly organized the Oro Belle Minlnsr and Milling Company stock. and proceeded to sell By 1900 the mines had proved their worth, and a mill was built to process ore from the Oro Belle and the Gray Eagle. The population of the town reached 200, with 100 of them miners. Forty men worked the day shift on the Oro Belle. Nearby, the Rapid Transit and Savoy ^nes were opera­ ting, although in & less spectacular fashion. A post office was granted the town, and the temporary name of Harrington was chancred to George Harrington proved to be Oro Belle. too nice a fellow, according to the company stockholders. They objected to his usinsr company funds to grubstake prospectors. He was fired, and a new boss was hired. of the penny-pinching variety Shortly, a revolt was mounted, and the new boss aA was given an ultimatum — better food and better pay work. Elsewhere burning of mills or no such miners' revolts had resulted in the and occasionally the suspension of the boss —A by the neck! ^66-- �The demands were granted, but^withln weeks, miners’ wases were cut back and the quality of the meals sank to a new low. The second revolt was more serious. were visible. The demands were restated. A few ropes The badly shaken manager conceded. He set off immediately to purchase fresh meat and produce. He never returned. Mines in the area reached the extent of their lodes in 1910. The good ore was gone, and the low;grade that was left wouldn’t pay wages, let alone milling fees. Soon both of Oro Belle’s saloons were dismantled and hauled muleback to Grown King. closed. In 1918 the post office The only signs of life now area few rattlers and a number of lizards]^"the latter frequently raising the pulse of visitors momentarily convinced they are confronted by the former. MAP NOTE* The Crown King, Arizona^15 minute United States Geological Survey topocrraphlc map shows Oro Belle and a vreat number of old mines in the surrounding mountains. �JEROME, ARIZONA Compared to deserted Oro Belle, Jerome is like Sunday on the freeway. However, the degree of desertion in the two towns is similar. deserted and Jerome ^0 Oro Belle is 100 per cent 98 per cent, having shrunk from its 1929 peak of 15,000 to its present two or three hundred stubborn souls, Glinfflng to the ^^rdecree slope of CleoT^' patra Hill, with its upper end ^00 feet higher than its 'r lower, the town comuactly occupies both sides of a number of switchbacks. The back side of a building may­ face one leg of the main highway, and the front will face another Since 1925, when a 25O:pound charge of dynamite was touched off underground, many of the buildings have been sliding slowly down the hill — some buildings at a three-eighths of an inch rate of 9^^* per month/ The Jail has slid a number of feet^ claim 300 feetj and across a highway. Three hundred ^3 -fl* feet is unbelievable, but so is the way people trust their houses to stay put and not slip down the hill in the middle of the night. Residents are seemingly unconcerned with their neoperpendicular life and continue to drive their automobiles into rooftop garages and climb down to their living rooms More than a thousand years ago the Tuzigoot Indians dug into the side of the hill to glean the brightly hued green and blue oxides of copper. The pigment was hicrhly valued as body ornamentation and pottery coloring. a The metallic content / �was not noted or valued, Sven the Spaniards who visited ths sites in the /Sixteenth Xentury failed to become in­ terested in the copper, for their Interest was gold. Several prospectors filed claims here in I876. M. A. Huffner and Angus (or August) McKinnon proved up on their claims then sold out to Territorial Governor Tritle for $2,000. The ^vernor sought financial help and found it in Sugene Jerome, a cousin of Winston Churchill. Mr. Jerome set down the stipulation that the town must bear his name. Previous to that time, the settlement had been called Eureka or Wade Hampton, for two of the earliest claims. The former was the Greek word for "I found it," name of the governor of South Carolina. and the latter the holdy^ ?f gffloo of CoTorr^r the State af jSauth Capelina,— First attempts to produce purs copper from the ore proved disappointing, and the mines were sold to William A, Clark, a Montana millionaire. Under his direction the United Verde grew to a profitable and complex operation. William Clark became one of the richest men in AmericaM and a United States Senator — and he did it, please note, in that order. At one time the town boasted ^grocery stores, houses of Joy, saloons, and two churches. The miners maintained their usual priorities. The population of Jerome began to decline during the depression, but in 1935 the Phelps Dodge Corporation �bousrht the operation foi"20 million. flollarcH Many thought the purchase ill-advised, but by 19^0, when the deposits thinned, the company had netted a profit oiJ’^UO million. The fis-ure seems substantial, but it represents only a small 4/ fraction of the sjfe billion ^&llai»n worth of copper, gold. silver^and zinc taken out of Cleopatra Hill MAP M0T3j Details of the town and its environs can be pinpointed, and an alls inclusive tour laid out, with the aid of the Clarkdale and Mingus Mountain, Arizona.15 minute topograohic maps. It seems only fitting that a town that sits on the steep slope that joins mountain to plainjJ^ls also found split in half ~ part on one map, the remainder on another. �STANTON, ARIZONA Pauline Weaver, In the year 1862 undertook to guide a group of prospectors Into the hills of central Arizona. He was a half-breed army scout temporarily off the payroll. His ability to negotiate and communicate with the Apaches made up for the fact that he had never been in the area before. One evening an antelope was shotbutchered camp set up beside a nearby creek. and This rather mundane series of events had happened before, but this time one little item would be added that would cause and Antelope Creek /yanother stream stream to be named Weaver Creek. above camp would become famous as 'Rich Hill.' The hill Two thousand miners would flood the vicinit:^and four towns would spring into being. party went in search. discovery. Their stock strayed.and some of the The event? As in many cases, the mules made the When the men found the stock they also found several thousand dollars’ worth of gold nuggets. The camp became permanent and was given the name of 'Antelope, ' later to be called the stage line passed through. change to Stanton at least murders. Antelope Station when Somewhat later that name would by means of a series of crimes, including In the meantime a town a few miles east, settled mostly by Mexicans, would be named in honor of Weaver. The town was to degenerate quickly into an outlaw hideout. Octave, �beyond Weaver, would yrow to a more substantial town, with the steadviny influence of a deep shaft bearing gold in quartz. Congress Junction, to the west, would grow up as a supply station for the Rich Hill Mining District, Charles P. Stanton arrived in Antelope Station, having recently been thrown out of a monastery on a morals charge. He obtained a decent Job in spite of his record but soon became disenchanted with his status as deputy county recorder and began to plot his way to success. He envied two successful storekeepers in the community, and by the diligent planting of rumors and countsr/^ rumors, he got Partridge and Wilson angry with each other. Things boiled over when a hOg got into Patridge’s cabin. , to the cabin Wilson was on his way oveg to apologize on behalf of his partner, the hog’s owner. Stanton saw his opportunity and tell that quickly had a Mexican cohort run toy^Partrldge tell hfan Wilson was gunning for him. Wilson dead on sight. As a result. Partridge shot He was tried and found guilty, part\ly on the basis of his confession^ which Stanton helpfully wrote out for him. Wilson’s partner, Timmerman, took over the store. Soon Timmerman’s body was found along the road, Stanton promptly moved the stage route so that it passed his own store, and erected a larcre sign which, in essence, renamed the town Stanton. �Charles ^Stanton was still not content. He now envied Barney ilartin, for Barney was still the staare agent, was told by some members of the Valenzuel gang Barney from Weavertown that he^better move out or he and his family would die. Barney sold out, packed up, and headed for Phoenix, leaving word with a good friend at Gold Water Station^"^^^ he would stop by on the way. When Barney failed to arrive, his friend. He found the charred re'^>^ Captain Galderwood, went in search. The Valenzuel gang was sus*>*’ mains of the wagon and family. pected, and Stanton was thought to be their leader. was tried for murder but found Innocent. that when Stanton finally died outlaw Stanton It is appropriate it was by the hand of another He had made advances toward and for "moral" reasons. Proilana, a young Mexican girl and close relative of Lucero, leader of a second gang in Weaver. Tom Pierson, on the way down from Crown King, reported that he met the fleeing Lucero. "I’ve killed Stanton and I’m headed for the border," stated Lucero as he rode past, "Stick around," hollered Pierson. "We’ll get you a reward." The ghost town of Stanton is about a mile and a half north and The" I’emainij lif.Atawtnin miles east of Congress Junction. north and Wo topographic maps are available for any of the towns in the vicinity. Three rather large buildings mark the site of the old town, but they have to be viewed from a distance. "Mo" signs* Mo Trespassing The area is surrounded with Mo Prospecting, Mo Piling of Claims �and^at an occupied residence a few hundred yards to the north a sign crowded In among more "No" signs proclaims, "Beware of the ^g. " I would have given ten bucks for a sign reading "Welcome to Stanton," and another five for the privilege of planting It at the outskirts of town. ) MAP NOTBi No United States Geological Survey topographic maps are available for the area. �W’SAVga, ARIZ JVA r Established in 1862 and all washed up by 19OO, the little town of Weaver led a short but varied life. was named in honor of the scout Pauline Weaver. It led the discovery party, Weaver was the half-breed son of a /White father and an Indian mother, the daughter of a tribal chief. Weaver was a highly respected army scout who had aided General Kearny in several Western campalcrns. Weaker died, reportedly from the shifting of a longsburied arrowhead, while asleep in an Indian camp on the outskirts of Camp Lincoln in 186?. Weaver was the biggest placer find in Arizona’s history. More than a million dollars’ worth of coarse gold was separated from the gravel^ of Weaver Creek, and untold smaller fortunes were literally picked off the vround on the upper slopes of Rich Hill. mlninpr peak. In 1888 the camp had reached its 9^ old photograph shows ^^substantial wooden buildings, a few rock and adobe structures, washers, and tents. By the 189^ large gravel: the goldtwashing business was fading, and hell-raising was taking over. long Before the town had the reputation of being an outlaw haven. In fact, it is claimed that no lawman dared set foot in Weaver, lest he disappear without a trace. Several gangs of outlaws operated out of the town in open fashion, frequently hired by outsiders like Stanton, to do some choice dirty work. Murders were common in town and seldom recorded. The cemetery �had a number of unmarked mounds, William Segna, in I898, had the honor of being the last murder victim in Weaver. (A He was a well-to-do saloon and mercantile operator — too well-to-do. Respectability returned temporarily in 1899 when However, due to a the town was granted a post office. sudden loss in population (everyone moved two miles away to Octave)^the post office was closed down in less than a year. The remains of Weaver can be found by traveling two miles east of Stanton, then taking a road north for a mile. The branch road to the north leaves the main road just short of the town of Octave. The old Weaver post office is still standing in pretty good shape. The building had two rooms customers, one for the postmaster. one for The rock walls are^^yU*\ thick, considerably reducing the available room inside insuring a cool environ. but The rock walls appear to have been laid up by two different workmen ~ one stout lesser strength. and and one of The rocks on the south side are huge^ and Jt- on the north are small. The doorway forms the demarkation. Several other rock buildings, an adobe structure with tin roof, two old frame mine shacks, and a concrete vault complete the standing remains. The vault is at the north end of town and seems to have been poured over a form shaped like a narrow-gai^e railroad car, then the form �removed from the inside. The form wood was narrow, fluted wainscoating, as evidenced by the fancy imprint left in the concrete. At the south end of town,on a hill to the east, stands the burned hulk of a small farmhouse. remains Alongside the is the charred trunk of a tree that once offered the home a moment of noon~day shade. -_________________________________________ / ) -Ar / MAP NOTSi Mo topographic maps are available for the area. �OCTAVE, ARIZONA C. 0. Carlson is presently the sole resident of Octave. You might call him a new-fangled type of olds timer. He used to prospect extensively. Now he has formed a company that plans to extract gold from the reject ore that makes up the waste dumps of the fabulous old Octave Mine. ^G^O.*^irn3rp=! a million in sold sits on the dump awaiting an efficient ex^ traction system. do the Job. In fact^he has applied for a patent on his newe style ball mill. unique. And he figures he’s got Just the gadget to It’s the drive mechanism that makes it The rear end and transmission of a @:ton truck wheels, tires and allis rammed up against the larsre armo'fr • j| ■ plate Krum. The air in the tires can be adjusted to achieve proper contact. ‘^^0.*^enjoys turning the driveshaft with one hand^««4 pointing out the easy rotation as a result. the drum makes "This mill will run 200 tons easy," he claimed. I didn’t ask if that was per hour, day^or week, but I sure had to agree it was a beautiful piece of eyeball engineering. "Of course," I pointed out, "that drum is going to be somewhat tougher to turn when you get a few tons of ore in it." Carlson figured, perhaps a bit optimistically, that he could drive the loaded mill with as little as horsepower. There is no such thing as a pessimistic inventor. Ore from the dump is to be treated first in a Jaw crusher, then put through the ball mill with '7^^ gallons of /O/ �water a minute added. The fine gold mixed with powdered rock will run out the end on_to a couple of fanners (shaker tables) finally, part of the gold will be gravlty5.separated and the remainder extracted by chemical means. is well-.acquainted with the history of the place and the exact condition of the old Octave Mine. Where he got his information is a mystery to me, and it differs from the published material one can dig out of p-brary. In several cases I have found •*0.^0.-^to be right and the published record in error. For example, one writer claims the town had a population of 3,000. Since others state that the entire district had only 2,000 at maximum, I*m inclined to put stock in Carlson’s claim that the town had about 500 residents, mostly Scandinavians. The diamond-shaped center of town was built-in 1897. built about 1900. water reservoir in the The buildings nearby were Now^just the rock foundations remain. The business district held a post office, mine headquarters, saloon, mercantlle^and grocery. ^^^Qso^ there wa^a school and a building that served as bank and stage station. ’*^.0.'"^ claims there were I50 men on the digging crew in the Octave feet Mine and that the mine was ^OOy^deep. Pumps ran continually to keep the bo^eg gpoo feet dewatered I "Of course the mine is flooded now ~ there's 20 miles of tunnels under that water, and I don’t guess it will �ever be pumped,” said Carlson. "See that hill over there? That's Rich Hill ~ richest hill in the world. Why, after a rain People you can walk up there and find nuggets. still search around that hill ~ find stuff too, especially just over the crest." now. Carlson was warming up to the subject "The geologists never did figure out how all those nuggets got to be found on top of the hill ~ supposed to "^pointed to the south. find 'em in the streams below. "See that peak? down there. That's Vulture Peak. Had a good ore body We're on a line between that mine and Rich Hill. That's why they found so much srold here." I asked how the snakes were. Carlson answered to the effect that they were real healthy.-^ "In fact, the damn things are so fat they're pink I They must be the most beaut i^ ful rattlers in the world.—and they don't buzz must have killed off all the buzzing kind and grew a crop that don't buzz I" is inclined to be outspoken on matters politi-^ cal. "It's that L»208 ~ you know. Law No, 208 that Roosevelt put through ~ that's what killed this mine ~ and those old tin heads in Congress soaked it all in. never should have stopped everybody from minin' gold — just 'cause they claimed it wasn't strategic." '^C.V).doesn't hold with core drilling either — "Why you can drill those little bitty holes all month and still �miss the vein. It’s crazy! May as well take your money to Vegas," There are some facts concerning the town that *^.^0,'**’ overlooked. He probably knows them^but just had more important things to say. Claimed as a placer in 1864, nothing much happened until the 1890^/^when someone saw the deeps mine potential. Eight men got together, bought the claim, and named the place Octave^ appropriate to the eight-way split. No Information is available as to how long the original eight held on to the claim. It would have meant a fortune for each, since somewhere between|^8 and|^15 million in gold was eventually ex^^ tracted from the Octave. The town proper was built between I896 and I9OI, The post office moved in from Weaver in I9OO, The mines were shut down in 1942, due to L-208, and in 1944 all the buildings were razed to save on taxes. Visible today are the huge yellow tailings of the mill, some foundations, some walls of the bullion room, the reservoir, and extensive multi(** leveled rock foundations. Across the knoll, under a modern power line, is a totally forsrotten cemetery. I had just visited the cemetery and was swinging back through the site of Octave to say goodbye to when I was hailed down by a nondescript old character in a battered pickup, "WheresW Rich Hill?" he asked. got to be around here somewhere." "It’s �Like an old hand and longrtime resident I waved toward the hill and hollered,"Your best bet for nuggets is just over the crest MAP NOTE* the area. too bad it ain’t rained lately." No topographic maps are presently available for �Iahizowa arsa 3 L J GOLDROAP, ARIZONA The road from Kinsman slants southwest with little ohanc:e in direction or elevation. accommodate a dry wash. Occasionally it dips to The native knows enough to slow down and check the wash for water. The tourist might plow into two feet of water at @ miles per hour, but he’ll only do it once. The resulting baptism quickly makes one a native. After to meander Pass, miles the road angles west and proceeds another miles up the slope to Sitgreaves ^50 feet above sea level. Its famed "100: mile view" is now marrf^ at mld^^stance by the smoke of a huge electrl> cal generating plant located on the Colorado River, As the road writhes its way down the west slope, signs of the abandoned town of Goldroad appear. there an old rock foundation. frame. Here a tunnel, Beyond these, a shaft and gallows The switchbacks become more frequent, and at one point, where the grade is particularly steep, most of deserted Goldroad is visible straight ahead and sharply below. Most of the remains are rock or adobe walls. Assured that the town would never come to life again, the owners decided in 19^9 to save the tax on surface improvements tlonally ^irned the town to the ground. and inten*"'^^ The Mexican part of �town, on the treeless flat to the west, survived in part, due to its adobe construction. Traces of gold were found here in 1863, The outcrops were low grade, and the prospectors moved on. The gold was there but remained hidden for another years. Jose Jeres (Jenerez, according to the February 1916 Los Angeles Financial Mews) was grubstaked by Henry Lovin of Kingman to the extent of $1,300. Jerez, or Jenerez, headed into the thoroughly workedsover region near Sitgreaves Pass, by the Old Fort Mohave Military Road. The stories vary ~ but Jose was either tracking a lost burro or tying one up when he stumbled across a knobby outcrop. He chipped some samples, then quickly laid out his claimy^and headed for Kingman Lovin wouldn’t believe Jerez when he learned the '•strike'* was in an area already tramped over by a thousand prospectors, and it wasn’t until Jerez started asking for another stake that Lovin decided to go look, Jerez was right, and excitedly the two of them proceeded to dig the required hole to prove up the claim. The vein held steady and strong. Word got out, and the rush was on. gone over thoroughly a second time. The ground was Two other paying shafts were developed. Meanwhile, Lovin and Jerez sold out for $25,000 each. Lovin also got the freighting and mercantile �concessions, which paid handsomely, Jerez drank his share and within a few years departed this world by swallowing rat poison. In 1901 there were ^00 people In town. In 1902 the boom was well under way, and a post office was opened under the name of Acme, In I906 the town reached Its peak. That year the post office was redesignated as Goldroad, It remained so until 1941, when Law 208 closed down the mine, the town^and the post office. Around the bend, and two miles on down the highway. Is the delightful old town of Oatman. Al^^ though not as dead as some ghost town buffs desire, one can couple It with the more: than^dead remnant of Goldroad and come up with an enjoyable tour. < # MAP NOTE: The town. Important mines, and cemetery shown on the Oatman and Mt. Nutt are minute United States Geological Survey topographic maps. Iti plfc i/ie ! �OATMAM, ARIZONA The geology of the area would excite even the most dejected prospector. the surface. Igneous intrusions stand boldly above Quartz outcrops abound/^ and where there is quartz, there is the likelihood of valuable mineralization. Iff Quartz, one of the last minerals to solidify upon cooling, often carries rare metals in its cracks and fissures. To the east of Oatman, the nearly whlje Elephant's Tooth and black Boundary Cone thrust their way above the horizon, sure signs of mineral separation and reliable indicators of valuable deposits nearby. The Vivian Mine was located in 1902 by Ben Paddock. A mine camp grew up around it^and in 1904 the post office of Vivian was established. The population reached 150^and the //2^ town boasted two banks, two stores, and a chamber of commerce. Discovery of rich gold ore in the Tom Reed Mine in 1908 brought the first boom. The town grew and became so respectable that a move was made to select a new name. They decided on Oatman, in honor of a family of pioneers who^ in 1851• The entire family was killed, had been attacked by Indians^ end %ho fa«H.y-igilloAy except for two girls and a boy. The girls were taken captive and the boy left for dead at the site of the massacre. A rescue party found the boy and^after years of effort^managed to free one of the girls. The other sister died captivity. �George W. Long had a theory about the veins around Oatman. He studied the shafts and tunnels in existence and determined that a healthy vein of gold ran north and south about 380 feet below ground. He formed the United Eastern Mining Company, which in 1913 bought up a number of claims that included the theoretical streak of gold. He was right. The vein was there — and at the depth predicted. With the Eastern and the Tom Reed both producing well (the Tom Heed averaged $70,000 in gold per month) the town boomed, and the area's population neared the 10,000 mark. Later a figure of 15,000 was claimed, but^was probably an exaggeration. With the best ore removed, the mines went into slow decline during the thirties. The town began to shrink. Its life was sustained by its location on Route 66, Even the *6^es*’*'p^sing through to California did their share to contribute to the survival of Oatman, But Law 208, passed by "those tin heads in Congress " to quote *^.0, Carlson of Octave, Arlzona^y^brought the rftmaipjng gold mining to a halt. hundred or so The number of residents dropped to one and in I968 fell to half that, or less than^^®®’^^ of its "honest" peak population. There are a few more folk living in Oatman now. In fact it may be on the comeback as a winter residence for reA tired trailerites^following the sun south for the winter fleeing the Arizona heat each summer. but �Ill Ths old Tom Heed Mine and Mill, long idle, has enough property remaining to warrant a caretaker. A few mines in the area are still operating:, either on a one: man basis or under strict secrecy. In one case the secrecy is maintained by a rif let carrying .guard. Wild burros make it a habit to visit town each day. Somewhere between © and of them wander in for a tour of the stores, poking their heads S?%oors and walking in if not met at the threshold. They like popcorn and dog food, and the tourists love to provide it^even at the risk of nipped fingers. The burros are b+wj. descendants of the pack animals They are not turned loose by retired prospectors. herd supremacy sometimes occur ° on^main street. Storekeepers close their doorsy.while visitors 7^ take cover and grab for their Instamatics. Occasionally samoles of high-grade ore appear in the glass showcases of the grocery store. I was offered a chunk about the size of a marshmallow. It was perlfa^s® gold. A You could easily scratch the yellow portion with a knife blade to check that it was not pyrite. The sample probably had an eighth of an ounce of gold in it. was tlO. Too high, I figured, and passed it up. The price Later, half-jA way to Kingman, it dawned on me that^at the present $180 an ounce, that sample was probably worth twice the asking price. //^ �J MAP NOTE* The Oatman, Arizona.7| minute United States / Geological Survey topographic map shows Oatman and part of Gold road. �MIM3HAL PARK, ARIZONA/ You can see the plume of dust from miles away, SM»^ the closer you approach, the more it seems to rise from the exact site of the s^host town of Mineral Park, A mile away you can hear the hum and clatter of heavy machinery. On a rise to the south of the suspiciously smoothy^broady^gravel road is an old roofless adobe building, doubtless a remnant of Mineral Park, Just around the bend the noise becomes suddenly louder, and the field of view is filled with signs of "progress The Duval Mine and Mill is operating at a level that would have been beyond the imagination of residents of Mineral Park ninety years ago. The site is a study in contrasts. On the left side of the road are the pitiful wrecks of three or four buildings, some mill foundations, one head frame about to collapse, and an old wooden separation tank. From these relics you can look across to the monstrous mine dump of the Duval, matched only in size by the massive mill below. Periodically the ugly sound^ of rocks falling causes one to look quickly about. The trucks are dumping rock over the dump a mile away, and boulders the size of barrels roll hundreds of feet down the man-made talus slope, A brief hlstory,to match the meager extent of the Z remains, starts with the town being laid out in 1870 near a �^tstamp mill. months. There were (2/ saloons In operation within^ The biw boom of the 188^^ found many adobe and frame buildlnajs built on both sides of a wide main street. A flay^p^e stood at the uphill end. An old picture shows waaon ruts forming a series of figure eights as people drove to the front^ of each store^ then cut across to one on the other side of the street. In 1884 the population was 700 and Increasing. There were two newspapers and a Ghlna^^wn. Strangely, there were no banksand no churches. evident. Perhaps a basic truth was Without one, perhaps you have a lesser need of the other. When the Atlantic and Pacific tracks were laid along a route justmiles away. It was found that ore of lesser A* quality could be mined. The town took on new life — tempor^ly. Soon a junction town popped Into existence at the loadlnv site. Within three years that town exceeded Mineral Park In size. An election showed that the majority approved of the new town as the county seat. Mineral Park refused to give up the records. The new town went on to A midnight raid solved, the problem. become a success L * MAP WOTSi they named It Kingman. -------------------- hmmW ■kUHL.aWL.il. IB IB UU WUi — The 1939. 15 minute Chloride, Arizona, United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the site of Mineral Park, but gives no Indication of the present mining complex. �Silver was found here in 1892, and hy 1894 the White Hills Mining Company had built a towi^^a mill and had dug miles of tunnels. The mines were paying hand"^^ somely, and the fifteen hundred residents in the area didn’t mind the occasional gully washer that rushed down the IThlte Hills and floated away an outhouse or two. What they did mind was the shortage of drinking water and its ”hauled-ln’' price I The White Hills Mining Company fell into financial dlfficult^^and an English outfit took over in 1895, A 0xmile pipe brought springwater to town and supplied the needs of a new(^:stamp mill. Most of the water went to the mill, and the town folk still felt the shortap:e. In two years the original owners regained the property^due to the English outfit's inability to make theta? payments. A big promotional effort was started, and the town experienced its best year. Then, with thinning veins and promotional claims unfulfilled, the mines and White Hills began to fade. A bad flood wiped out much of the town. Men caught 200 feet underground could not climb out against the water and debris pouring in. Luckily, the shaft went deeper and acted as a reservoir, or the men would have been trapped and drowned. V �The post office closed in 191^, but by then most of the town had been moved away or had collapsed from flood­ damaged foundations. Until recently, several old shacks still remained, stubbornly fighting the pull of gravity. A new retirement village, built a few miles beyond the site, did little to protect the meager remains. In 197^ the last shack collapsed to a point where its eaves touched the ground. The cemetery has a number of graves, each lined with rocks, a few replete with accidental barrel cactus head/^ boards. The ultimate Insult to a dead town is sickenlngly evident there. Two graves have been dug up and robbed. One of them was that of a child. _____________________5k MAP NOTSj , Arizona, The White Hillsyyl5 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the site. ARIZO^^^^ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part II: Arizona Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Ariz Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF https://caspercollege.cvlcollections.org/files/original/074d72832552ce2b3dfc4286d628d125.pdf b7233ea0910ccd64169df4765e4678a2 PDF Text Text PAET III NEVADA �Pf\ P. r-3- ' BULLFROG, \T3vaD4 j Shorty Harris had never made a big stake. He had made a strike or two, but somehow it always seemed to slip through his fingers. The finds that he kept always turned out shallow, and the ones he sold made the buyer rich. There was always the next one, and that one he would handle ricrht, for Shorty figured he had used up all the wrong ways. Late in the summer of 1904, Shorty Harris and his friend, Ernest Cross, split off from a group of prospectors at Daylight Springs in^^^^^thern Nevada and headed west to a spot Shorty had noted some years earlier. On August 4 the two prospectors found some greenish rock containing Im/^ bedded quartz, and in the quartz were granular chunks of gold Smooth portions of the rock resembled the back of a bullfrog. They ground up some of the rock and panned out the Kold. It was rich as any ore they had ever seen — and this time it wasn’t someone else holding on to it. This could be the bi{7 one! Harris and Gross checked the area closely and staked out the best deposits/\ ^en, with foresight, staked out a mill site and water rights. samples they could They loaded up all the and headed for Goldfield. On the way �they stopped at Beatty's Ranch, and heyan to snread, norter clalTied It spread so fast word of the X^rike that one newspaper re-^ the two nen met prospectors coming at them from Goldfield when they were still miles out and that when the two discoverers reached Goldfield, all of Goldfield was staking claims near ^e Bullfrog. The story is only slightly exaggerated, for 7,000 people were on the site within a few months. Shorty's credit was good at every bar in Goldfield, £ and he exercised his x^rogatlve in all of them. Later he claimed that six days of drinklns- too much "Oh-Be-Joyful" had addled his braint He didn't remember signing the deed, but there it was ~ with seven witnesses.-^ he had sold his half of The Bullfrog for ^l,OOo! Another stake had slipped from his grasp. Later Shorty claimed it was $25,000, probably in an attempt to sound as astute as his partner, Ernest Cross, who had held out for that fiyure. His partner claimed that Shorty had sold his interest for just $400^ claimed it was $500 and a mule. others The latter version isn't likely, since Shorty hated mules, much preferring jackasses. In fact, his vravestone was later to be inscribed: "Here Lies Shorty Harris, A Single Blanket Jackass Prospector." Shorty became famous as the best and the poorest prospector in-------- -—- -------------- - ' ' �the southwest. Wherever he went, he left a trail of riches behind. The Bullfrog strike was made in August, and by November nearly a dozen tent towns had sprung up, some near the original claim and others scattered about the flats near Ladd Mountain a few miles to the east. Water had to be hauled in. Freighting costs made it nearly equal in price to unaged whiskey. liquor a bargain by comparison. That made hard It was in such demand that many of the shipments were intercepted enroute and consumed on the spot. It was common practice to set up shop at the point of interception. It was several months before the opene air bars satisfied the demand and were able to migrate to the mining camps. Land promoters attempted to lure residents to To get "their" towns in order to sell lots at a profit. things started they all offered free lots, and some escalated the competition with the offer of free house?moving. shifting of homes and The relocation^ of business places finally slowed as two dominant towns emergedS Bullfrog, on the flat south of Sutherland Mountain, and Rhyolite, a mile to the north. Promoters of both towns knew that only one could survive. The competition was heavy. Each town built to match the other -- and by May 30, 1905, both had larsre hotels, newspapers, water systems, nowopapoiii and post offices. A �Within a year Hhyolite emercred as the winner. It was a more substantial town with a number of twos and three: story rock buildinss^s under construction. Lots in Bullfrog dropped in value, and stores along its main street became vacant. When the last business place moved io Rhyo­ lite, the Rhyolite Herald proclaimed* "Verily the Bullfrog Croaketh," That was in May of 1906, and in June of the same year the big threes story hotel «e^Bullfrog burned to the ground. The town had boomed and collapsed in less than two years, The map!^ of the area indicates the ruins of two buildings and a cemetery at the site of Bullfroc, totally accurate. It is The road to the west, part of it atop the old railroad grade, leads to the collapsed structures of the oriarinal Bullfrog Mine, caved in, Of the mine shafts there, some are ^hers are filled with the debris of fallen buildings, r * MAP NOTE* The Bullfrog, Nevada, 15 minute topographic map of the United States Geological Survey shows Bullfrog, the Discovery Mlneyy^and other settlements in the area. �RHYQLITS, MSVAPA / When Bullfrog "croaked " In I906, the population of Rhyolite increased by several hundred. The first of three railroads reached town the same year^and Rhyolite took a second giant step forward. The town was exploding much faster than profits from the mines warranted. Hine stocks were high:priced and selling fast. had arrived too late for the Gold^ People field boom were primed for this one. This was the time, and Rhyolite was the place^to make a fortune. The boom was still resounding when the first signs of the bust appeared. Some of the smaller claims had been found wanting, and the original Bullfrog Mine had found the end of its lode. In spite of the warning signs. Rhyolite continued to grow. The tracks of two more railroads reached town in 1907, and the population jumped from 6,000 to 10,000. Threei story buildings made of local rhyolite rock were springing up. Pour banks and four newspapers were in operation, and construc­ tion was started on a large^concrete schoolhouse. Boundary lines had to be drawn in town to prevent the encroachment of the rapidly expanding red-light district. The alley one half block east of main street was the western boundary. A new jail was built in the direction of the exT^ panslon, in order that it be handy to the customer. �The town had three separate water systems. The pressure in some mains was in excess of 70 pounds per square inch, A had fire in the red-lfT^t district, hastened hv wind, threatened to spread into the business district. The hisch pressure in the waterline hurst the first two hoses hooked up. New hoses were strung from hydrants with lower pressure, and the blaze contained. The financial panic of 190? caused most of Hhyolite’s mines to close down. The Montgomery Shoshone, two miles northeast of town, was a notable exception. Its continued operation prevented the immediate collapse of Rhyolite, The Montgomery Shoshone lode was discovered by an Indian lad (the legend goes) who was tricked into trading it for a pair of pants and two dollars, S. A. Montgomery, the purchaser, claimed, to the contrary, that he had hired the Indian and in fact had paid him well. Further, Montgomery stated^tiMbt it was by his own efforts thfit the best ore was located. Montgomery sold the mine for^2 million (some report|’*5 million), and within a year its stock was evaluated at million. When the mine finally closed in 1910, it had grosseoj^a million in gold but was still deeply in debt on the newly built Schwab Mill, lOo — / �/2^ The population of Hhyolite had been dropping for two years, but in 1910» when the Shoshone closed, it plummeted to less than a thousand. with 1912 The newly completed school opened students rattling about its spacious corridors. In the massive station of the Las Vegas and Tonopah Railroad, built just a few years earlier, was suddenly deserted when train service was terminated. A few years later the tracks were torn up for scrap, and even the diehards left town. homes were hauled away. Many All but a few of the remaining struc^ tures were burned or dynamited to save on taxes. The railroad station was bought by the McLaughlins and remodeled as a home. It was the only major building in town to escape razing. Later the old station served as bar, gambling house, and country store. Mow it is a combination residence, museum^and tourist shop. The old station stands alone amid the ravaged ruins of Rhyolite. MAP NOTSj \ Details may be found on the Bullfrog, Nevada^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map. ^2^ �GOLD POINT, ^SVAPA There are no detailed maps available for the area around Gold Point, and they are hardly necessary, since the town can be seen straix^ht down the road from the Junction on U.S, 95, (l^mlles away. The huddle of bulldinis^s next to the lights colored mine dumps at the base of Slate Ridge is the town of Gold Point. Seven miles of that straight road is blacktop JUv-axixv 3), and the remaining is good crravel. The dry^ clear air fools one into thinking the town is constantly traveling away at a speed equal to that? -af one’s own approach. Of the 225 buildings that stood in the town of Gold Point ^nce called Lime Point three or four dozen remain. and then Hornsilver^ only Compared to most ghost towns, that’s a considerable remnant. There is an owner in residence at present, and he has thoughtfully laid down the ground rules by means of a small sign at the edge of town. In effect, the message asks the visitor to be careful where he trespasses and to keep hands off the property ~ but to take all the pictures his heart desires. And Gold Point is photogenic. There are three "business districts," one at the deserted gas pump and store, another a few blocks northwest, and the last near a mine about a quarter of a mile to the south. The one near the mine has on its false front a �sign that can barely be made out — "Hornsllver Townsite and Telephone Company." In front of the building are the remains of the two very old gas pumps, one of them adverti^^ ing filtered gasoline. Old deserted mines are scattered in every direction. Many are quite intact. A number of gallows wheels (pulley wheels at the top of head frames) lie about as if someone forced to quickly wae caught in the act of looting and divest himself of incriminating evidence. The largest and most impressive remnant in Gold Point is the blockulong business district at the northwest edge of town. In one single string there are four weathered old stores standing alone and forlorn. Three are connected and seem to gain strength from each other's presence. A twos store space separates the cluster from the end store, and beyond that atruoture are the collapsed walls of yet another place of business. Limestone was mined here in 1868, and during that time the town was called Lime Point. In I9O8 silver ore was found and the town boomed. changed to Hornsllver, Hornsllver Herald. highrgrade The name was The local newspaper was called Thirteen saloons mushroomed, and there was talk of a railrosid. By I910 the town had reached its maximum size. /o3 - I �The period from I905 to 1911 was wild. At least the old duffer from 'layer, Arizona^ re membered it that way. He used to prospect the washes for yold. "Found some too," he claimed, "and I would have kept a lot more if I hadn't been cheated out of it," He and his partner had located some good sand. They flipned to see who would cro file on it. won and headed for Gold Point. His buddy He returned three days later ~ "with a hanyover and three strangers. got drunk and sold our claim ~ Seems he went and claim!" The old-timer (he’s the one wanted to remain "unanimous") had little good to say about some of the :iner?^ chants in the boot^ towns and mining camps nearby. "They was always cheatin' on the whiskey. it was half water ~ wouldn't even burn your tongue," Most of He seemed to yet a little angry at something he Just recalled. "There was one old crook that ran a saloon outside of Gold Point, on the way to the old Oriental camp. He used to enjoy takin' a pinch of dust for a drink, like they done years before, Everyone thought that it was all right Hil they noticed his pinchin' fingers had dents in 'em." his thumb and forefinger. He demonstrated with "Most of us guys had heard of bartenders yrowln' long fingernails, or runnin' their hands through the grease in their hair, but we never seen this pulled before. We raised hell with him and made him use �his left hand. Then one day we see his left hand ha^ got dents — and we find out he's been squeezin' a button in his pocket Just before he takes a pinch. gonna hang him. Told him we was He didn't even take us serious, so we did. We hung him a little. Didn't hurt him much. Jest redded up his neck and maybe stretched it some." In spite of the poor results experienced by some prospectors, increasing: amounts of gold were found. Silver deposits were petering out, and by 1930 more gold was being mined than silver. its name again. Obviously the town would have to change Newly christened Gold Point, the town perked along for another years before it folded. In 1955 there was one store serving the needs of thirteen resl' dents. Now the store is closedy^and the number of residents is even less. Several of the old miners' houses have been kept up as vacation homes. Near one of them is an outhouse of unusual construction — quite appropriate to its occasijnal use ^specially in the event of flu, the "green apple splatters^^ or some other similarly explosive happening it's made entirely of ammunition boxes. MAP NOTE: No topographic maps available �LIDA, ViSVADA C There was gold in the Palmetto Mountains. The Indians and Mexicans mined it in the 186Q^, Within a few SAfl years Americans heard about it and in the moved in on the "unclaimed diggings." The settlement that grew on the site was nearly 200 miles from the nearest railroad. Silver^ miles to the north^and across the mountain, was the peak, nearest town, Lida expanded rapidly after a road was built connecting it with Silverpeak. Machinery-for two aman stamp mills was hauled in and assembled at the springs near town. Much of the ore was rich ~ it had to be in order to balance the high cost of freighting the mill machinery at a fee of .$100 per ton. Some ore was so rich that it was hauled to the railhead and shipped out for processing. When Goldfield boomed in 1904 life to Lida. it brought added The springs at the outskirts of Lida became Goldfield’s water supply by means of a pipeline (|^*odd miles lonff. When the railroad reached Goldfield rates on supplies for the residents of Lida, it meant lower Also, low-grade ore stockpiled on the mine dumps could now be processed at a profit. Lida grew up, and a newspaper, Enternrig^- £ came to town. The town flourished for several years then faded when many of the mines shut down during litigation. �aanchinc: be.cran to pay better than mining, and the nature of the community changed. Today the town is half ghost, half ranch. Several old buildings stand vacant under massive shade The old schoolhouse can be spotted by its attendant “boys," ’’girls," and "teacher." triplesdoor outhouse — ''bovy,-"girls^ and tcaohor-. " trees. A MAP M0T3: available. Mo topographic maps of the area are present �JlBVADA A3 3A 2 ^T3VApA The Cathollo Church stands on a hill overlookins; town. I had taken a number of lows angle shots of the old unpainted structure and had decided to climb the hill to try out the opposite view. Prom that direction, a f*few of Nevada’s rare summer clouds could perhaps be coerced into position. Photos completed, I wandered back past the front of the church. The steps looked inviting and there were no "No" signs in evidence. The hasp on the door was broken, apparently smashed. I reached for the handle, and as my hand touched metal a shot rang out. instantly. My hand jerked back I took inventory, then looked about. Someone had determined that a shot fired in the air, at a precisely timed moment, would serve as an effective deterrent. someone had no doubt pulled the stunt on others. That He probably keeps a good eye out, fearful he will miss another chance at a little fun. I got the message, and I understood the necessity of his delivering it. Some visitors leave with e mjjmentos more substantial than exposed film. Manhattan has had an on-agaln/^off-again history. Silver found here in 1866 resulted in the construction of a mill, but it failed to show a profit and was abandoned three �years later. In I905 some cattlemen spotted an outcrop of "jewelry quality" ore. the date of discovery They claimed it and named it for April Pool. That summer @ town*^ sites were laid out in the vicinity, and the usual competition between landmen ensued. i-Ilne speculators moved in the next year and spread exaarveratlons all over Nevada. Soon 4,000 ueople rushed to the spot, most of them from Tonopah, miles south. The road was constantly filled with rigs and autos, one every half mile or so. The dust never settled. Lots in town were expensive^and store owners built on their entire lot, attaching each new building to the side* wall of the last. One lucky merchant bought a 30tfoot space between two stores and simply raised a front, a backhand a roof, Plre hazards due to this kind of construction were ignored. The topographic map of the vicinity shows a solid bar on each side of the road, indicating long strings of connected buildings. The town had its own electric power plant, banks, (2)newspapers, a number of stores, and plenty - of "watering holes," The quake hit San Francisco the following year, and Manhattan's financial supporters went home (with their money) to repair damage to their holdings. !4anhattan collapsed, but new placer strikes brought it back to life years later. A particularly rich float was found east of town at the White OapCs) Mine. A mill was built, and the �population of Ilanhattan stabilized at nearly one thousand. The town had nearly died for the second time by 1939. when- dredcring offered a new flicker of life. When that effort ceased in 19^7, the town died its most recent death. It’s due to come back to life again any time ~ it always has. lieanwhlle it’s a delightful ghost town. An old rock building at the east end of town has a weathered sign over its door that reads "post office," but showing through are the letters "B A WK," Just a few steps awav are the hoist works shed and gallows frame of a small mine. The Toiyabe Hall stands across the street, twos storied and lm«*^ presslve. Strung out along^maln street are an old meat market, five housesy^and a general store. The many gaps along the oncei solid string of storefronts were created when a number of merchants moved their places of business to a booming placer camp on Hound Mountain, When they removed their stores, they took the outside walls of adjacent build#" ings with them. Most gaps are at least ^stores wide. The little general store is the only place doing business now. Recent "progress" has been almost too much for the sras pump, , Its rate adjustment won’t reach the 50- to current 60s cent price of gas. It still reads 30 cents per gallon, but a sign on the pump tells the customer to fill up, then just double the total. — 110-^ �MAP MOTS I Excellent detailedisplayed on the 1914 Manhattan and Vicinity, Nevada^ 3":to»thetmile United States Geological Survey topographic map. Sadly, the map is now out of print and cannot be purchased. Some libraries in the map and will permit copies to be made. have �BALMONT, MS^ZADA It can only be described as an oasis. In the middle of town, surrounded by larsre shade trees, a spring bubbles forth, its steady flow giving rise to a small stream that wanders south through town. Within a mile the waters of the stream are sapped and then swallowed by the thirsty desert sand, Belmont enjoys ideal weather during most of the year, due mainly to the 7000: foot elevation. There are time /K I however, when heavy winds dominate life in town. Guy wires to the west and south of manv buildings attest to the strength of the winds. Heavy winter snows (@ feet in four days on one occasion) can pile up and cut the town off from civilization for weeks at a time. Hose Walter is the ranking old:timer, and the venerable voraj»3?e first lady of Belmont, Hose and her housekeepers companion live in a large, wells kept rock home at the north end of town. These two ladiedxand the couple that own the r newly opened gas station-bar-cafe at the opposite end of town, make up the complete roster of years round residents. Strung out along the main street of town are a number of impressive remains of the once:notable town. Across the stream are more buildings. Dominating that side of town is the grand old Wye County Courthouse, Two:story brick, with tall wooden cupola and numerous chimneys, the �structure was, and still is, the fanciest buildinff in the It was here that the "town character" held sway county. as district >kttornsy. Elected as a joke, he took his job seriously so seriou^^hat he refused to leave office at the end of the term. The newly elected D.A. tried to assume office, but *014 Andy*^eld out forQdays, sleeping in the courthouse office and having meals sent in. Silver, found in I865, resulted in an immediate influx of fortune seekers. With assays at more than ^100 and over a thousand tons of ore blocked out, there per ton was little reason to believe Belmont would be a town to go bust quickly. Merchants built with a justifiable hope of permanence, and within two years the population had reached 6,000. When Belmont secured the county seat, plans were laid to build a prideful courthouse. Clay deposits were located miles west of town, and a brick factory was conT^ structed. Prom that brick the courthouse was built, and from that edifice emanated an aura that Inspired confidence in those who would build Other^structures.of Belmont grew to 10,000 and boasted two newspapers, an oyster houseyj and a music hall. Society made the news, but rougher elements were making the headlines C^wo union organizers were chased out of town. When they were found hiding out nearby, they were hauled in and hunvf �Irish laborers in 186? confronted Boss Canfield and accused him of hiring Cornlshmen at lower wages to ret* place the Irish. Tempers heated^^and soon Canfield was being toted about town on a rail. When a former lawman, Louis Bodrow, tried to slow things down, shots rang out and two men fell to the ground. tHHBs Bodrow and Pat Dlgnon lav dead. Bodrow had been shot times and then stabbed repeatedly. He got off two shots before he expired, and Dlgnon inter'?' cepted one of them. During some of Belmont’s more lawless years, a vigilante group maintained order by staging occasional hang?' Ings. Generally the job was done on the sly, to avoid in*? crimination, but each time, a sign bearing the number "301" was attached to the victim. ive. The lesson was clear and effect? A few more crooks slipped out of town each time word spread that the "301" was forming up for an evening’s chores. By 1885|I^15 million in silver had been taken from the hills. Mines produced until the late thirties abruptly shut down. then With the shuQown, payrolls stopped. Stores closed for lack of customers, and the town became suddenly quiet. The Catholic Church was moved to Manhattan, •there to become deserted once again. In 1903 only^^people registered to vote in Belmont, But the town isn’t altogether dead. saloon at the south end of town is open. The little Travelers can �obtain sustenance and libation. One can even buy gasoline? however, the procedure is a bit unusual. First you borrow the pump handle from the bar>A^ tender, then pump the seas into pump. glass cylinder atop the The gasoline then flows by gravity throuch the nozzle and into the gas tank of the car. You check the pump handle back in when you pay the bartender for the gas, Now that’s proarress f — MAP NOTE: available No topographic map of the area is presently �IQ^B, NSVAPA^ West of Tonopah, dust devils trace their serpentine paths across the dry flats, gathering substance as finely powA_ dered earth is blown high in an ever-tlyhteniny spiral. Heavier spheres of tumbleweed ride low, bouncing along, nearly escaping, then swinging violently inward to orbit in tight circles. At times a dozen or more of the dry tumbleweeds are carried crazily along, like ponies on a merry-go-round gone wild. Passing through one of the larger whirlwinds is an experience. observer. First the wind and debris batter one side of the Then, after the passage of a miniscule eye, the opposite side is delivered an equal blow. The passage is quick and harmless to all but the very delicate. Butterflies, kleenex, newspapers, even handkerchiefs "out of the hand" are occasion^ ally carried to extreme heights, to fall back gently when the centripetal grip is relaxed. Worth and west of Tonopah, past the playground of the dust devils and a dozen or so miles east of Gabbs, a narrow canyon in the Shoshone Mountains cradles the remains of the old mining town of Ione. In 1863 silver was found in Ione Canyon to the northeast, and a camp grew on the site. The narrow canyon offered little room to expand, so the town was moved dowrf �stream to the flats at the canyon mouth. Ione became the first county seat of Nye County in 186^, and the town soon Several mills were built, but exceeded 500 in population. the ore in the region never lived up to the mill's capacities, let alone the promoter's expectations. seat was moved to Belmont. In 186? the county In spite of the recent extraction of mercury, less than a million dollars in precious metals has been taken from the region. A number of old mines are strung out along the four-’ mile length of Shamrock Canyon them, Xie Shamrock Mine Just east of Ione. One of perched on the north slope, is acces^ ible by a recently improved road. At the mine site, an old '>f!ot/fead" steam enorine still sits on its pads, apparently in running order. The shed giving it protection is shorn of its roofing, and cracks between boards let in narrow bands of light, contouring the shapes of the machine within. At the west end of town, a low rock structure dominates a rise on the north side of the road. are more than two feet thick. fireplace. The east wall contains a flush Mot flush Just on the inside outer surface. Its walls but also on the With the supersthick walls, the fireplace is merely a hollow portion hidden in the middle, A beam two-by-fours along the ridge supports rough? sawn that measure 2% by 5)6^ an actual x yi Inches. These are apparentlv the ancestors ' l%-by-3%-iiich of the present anemic off sprln!?s. Over the �rafters, waste slab wood was nailed on, then bark was laid on the boards, and the whole covered with dirt and a crop of ^rass planted. While it was occupied, the owner kept the arras s watered. The shade kept the dirt cool fortable. When the last occupant moved out, the roof died. MAP NOT Si The 15 minute Ione, Nevada^^ United States and the house comiR- Geoloarical Survey map is an excellent aid in explorina: Xs, the area. A series of "w indicating prospect holes, surround Ione on three sides. Many tunnels and shafts are indicated, Sprinkled along the two canyons leading northeast and southeast from town. �B^RLIV, ^WADA Two hundred million years ago, ^^sfoot monsters swam In the shallow seas that covered most of the western states. Wari^looded, m^alian, and shaped somewhat like a lizard, the ,?^hthyosaur lived, propagated, and died in much the same manner as the whales of the present era. The bodies of some Xohthyosaurs sank in the deep ooze present in some shallows. the ooze hardened to In time become a mold of the animal’s skeleton. made acidic with carbon dioxide Much later matter. Slowly, water dissolved the bones. the area was covered with volcanic over an extended period of time, rain~water laden with minerals filtered through the overburden and filled the bone cavities, recreating the skeletons in agate precipitated and other pringipotted rock. Fossils of the ancient animals were found in I860, thirty-five years before silver was discovered. In 1898, three years after the silver strike, many of the claims were bought up by the Nevada Company (a Mew York outfit) and a mill constructed. srrew around the mill. The small town of Berlin The population held at about 200 for ten years, then dropped to a handful in I909 when the mill shut down. The buildings of Berlin have changed little from the time it became deserted. Some of the pottbellied stoves —//f- �have disappeared, and the metal has been salvaged from the mill. Prospectors have occasionally used cabins In town as a base of operations. Presently, one of the old cabins Nevada^ | Is occupied ty a j^^tate Parks employee. The town is used as an entrance gate to Ichthyosaur State Park. MAP MOTS J The 15 minute Ione, Mevada^Unlted States Geological Survey map shows the site of Berlin but oddly fails to pin­ point the location or extent of the fossil beds. �ILLINOIS Miys CAMP, ^aVADA The Paradise Peak topographic map is littered with evidence of old towns and mining camps. Craig Station/\and Downeyville are shown sites. Ellsworth, and labeled as Paradise Peak Mine Camp, Sierra Magnesite Mine Camp, and Brucite are depicted by numerous black squares, Indicai^ ting present occupation. The date on the map is 19^8, and it would be logical to assume that at least one of the last three towns would spection. by now be a deserted camp worthy of ln<^ At the north end of the map, Big Chief Mine, .i^fTe Victory Tungsten Mine, and ^ffe Illinois Mine Gamp are shown. It seemed likely that one of these sites might also prove to be a little:known town or camp^rarely visited and virgin Off any publicity. At Ellsworth and Craig, remains were sparse. At Downeyville I could find onlv mlne^shafts. The Victory Tuna:sten Mine Gamp was small and in intermittent use. The Sierra Magnesite Gamp, right next to Gabbs, consisted only of concrete slabs. Brucite was now a part of the excavation of the huge mine operation being carried out a mile east of Gabbs. Gabbs, the biggest town within miles, was a very small community with only one cafe, but it hardly qualified as a ghost town. At^ one time, a town called Lodi existed about miles northeast of Gabbs. It had a population of 100 and �was the supply point for the Illinois Mine Gampmiles to the west. The map showed no town by the name of Lodi, but it did show a tank (small water reservoir) by that name. I expected to find the slate wiped equally clean at the Illinois Mine Gamp but was pleasantly surprised to find a number of Impressive remnants. FinallyI After a dozen dis^ appointments, here was a site worth a few rolls of film and an afternoon’s "exploration," Deciphering the remains of deserted sites Involves a lot of inspection, some deduction, a share of guess3!rork, and a residue of mystery. A ghost town hunter quickly be?*^ comes a speculative historian. Beside the road at the mine camp stood a small^ rock-walled, sod-roofed building with a wooden vent risinar at 7 the back. The fixtures were not that of an outhouse, so the logical assumption (there were shelves on the sides) was that the building served as a powder house. It would nature ally have a stout door and lock, but these were missing, A bit further along the littlezused road, a deep mine shaft r^ Ordinary passage put the pickup There was wheels within a foot of the llp.y^Zittle to worry about, qulred careful avoidance. however, as the truck was larger than the shaft. However, OH when approachfoot the prudent observer would maintain his distance, since the lip slope^ in and 4^ covered with small^rounded rocks ready to ease one’s entrance. �Larger diameter metal hoops told of wooden tanks that once stood here — probably a cyanide unit for extracts ing stubborn gold. Perhaps mill taillngs^were reworked for gold missed on the first attem^o/. Two corrugated steel tanks lay crumpled in the gully. They appeared to be either blown up by dynamite or 21- blown down by wind ^“probably the latter, since the remains were more battered than bulged. Hock mill foundations occupied the slope near the, banks of the gully. The absence of further remains would 1\ indicate that the steel was removed ~ perhaps the entire ' then again, this could be one of those structures •> sacrificed in the making of a B:grade western movie. mill. A sign in the center of town marks the spot as the route of an emergency stock driveway. Amazing — it , , nrrjcuAz makes one wonder how many head of stock have enddd up at shaft bottoms. Down the hill and east a few hundred yards, past a number of jackstrawed woodpiles (probably living quarters), was a stout brick cubical in the midst of extensive brick rubble. It must have been a bank vault at the company offices. Hearby was a square concrete foundation, very stout for its size. A mystery. aa4 the ground sounded hollow. it was safe to traverse. A few steps to the east Yet car tracks Indicated A bit more to the east, a tall, - M3 - �broad vertical expanse of brick provided the answer. Doors in the face led to underground tunnel like chambers of the type used to smelt ore. The tunnels led to the square corjj^ Crete foundation, which now quite clearly was a chimney base. A short distance away was a small rock kiln or smelter. was the obvious forerunner. Both structures had the same angled brackets to hold the removable doors. doors we^ at hand. It ?Tone of the They would have been metal doors and therefore would have been sold for scrap during one of the past wars. Pacts concerning the camp are few. Hesldents of Gabbs were able to provide some, and a few paragraphs referr^ Nevada ing to the town were gleaned from the.State Archives. A Gold found here in 1874 resulted in a small smelter (the one built of rock?) being constructed nearby. The camp that grew about the mine and smelter included a stoia saloon, boarding house (perhaps that exp^^ns the longyj^ narrow foundation below the mine), and a population of s e ve ral hund re d. The mine was closed and reopened a number of times. Each time the camp received a new namei Marble and Bob were used, and some claim the camp was called Lodi for a time. However, about 1908 the real Lodi was laid out at the site of the present Lodi tanks, and the mine camp then went under the name of ‘Illinois. �Thins:s really got sroing about 1910^when Lodi began to look like a town the Illinois Mine. one). and new veins were located at A large smelter was built (the brick Severe flooding in the shaft brought things to a halt about the time of World War I. Just before World War II, a last effort was made (the corrugated tanks) to extract the remaining ore. Except for Outojlide 9# the small concrete water tank there is nothing to mark the site of Lodi, but the remains at Illinois Mine Camp (or Marble, or Bob) are as numerous and varied as the names the camp has carried. I’lAP M0T2» y The Paradise Peak, Nevada^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows a wealth of old sites. END NEVADA AREA 31 �J?J5VADA ARSA 3 a f ] VIRGI?TIA CITY, NEVADA.C The old prospector was half way into tying on a good one. *^ld Virginn:^'^ he was called, probably because^ drunk or sober, he was continually rattling on about his home state. He had Just bought a fresh bottle and was headed toward camp by way of the straightest line possible when he stumbled on the rough ground and fell forward, bottle-arm outstretched. of contact. Unfortunately there was a rock at the point The whiskey flooded out of the shattered glass and soaked quickly into the ground, Hot one to waste a full bottle, the old prospector gathered himself up and proclaimed^ "I christen this ground Virginia." If it hadn't been for that rock at the end of Old :he town might have kept its original name — Silver City, As it was, the story was told so many times that the christening was accepted. After all, it was reasoned, anyone who could think that fast deserved the rlvht to name the town! The story of Virginia City started ten years back/< when the barren ground was called Gold Canyon, Some folk passing through to California had panned a little gold in the canyon prior to 1850, but it was silver that Allen and Hosea Grosch found a few years later. They quietly ground �the blue quartzrand smelted it down in their small assay furnace. Henry Comstock, called -^Old Pancake,prospecting in the canyon at the time, noticed all the secrecy going on^ and knew that the two men had made a strike. He searched and watchedbut never figured out where the Grosches were getting their ore. He wasn’t even sure whether it was silver or gold ore that the two brothers worked on in such secrecy. Word slowly leaked out that gold an(^^or silver had been found, and soon the hills were dotted with pick and shovel men. O’Riley and ;4cLaughlln arrived late and quickly staked their claims at the fringe, before those were taken by the next batch of arrivals. Later they worked it over thoroughly and uncovered a gold-bearing quartz ledge. *^ld Pancake*^ Comstock, as was his habit, immediately claLlmed prior filing, sen^ to humor him, deal. O’Riley and McLaughlin took him in on the The find was the first tap on what was to be called Comstock Lode.*^ The ore was dirty and difficult to work. After crushing and panning the wash for gold, the discolored re*^ mains were quickly thrown away. One prospector, familiar with silver, quietly picked up some of the leavings and had them assayed. The discarded waste ran over $4,000 per ton of silver — more than the value per ton of gold already extracted I �Word of the new find brought a second flow of prospectors. During the spring of i860 a day were entering the Washoe area. nearly two hundred According to one re/^ porter, promoters outnumbered the prospectors toThe same reporter gave detailed accounts of the terrain^ and the weather. He claimed that heavy snow, prolonged runoffs, and a vicious wind called ‘^Pfie Washoe Zephyr*^made the place "essentially Infernal in every respecti" It wasn’t yet known that a heavy body of ore lay under Davidson Mountain, running parallel to the canyon floor and the streets of the burgeoning town. The extent of the ore would ^^only^^^partly determined during the boom of the sixties, when half a million a month would be mined. In two years that lode would expire and the town would be deserted. Then, eight years later, a group of investors with imagination and foreslte would investigate and catalog the full extent of the lode. In the process, the main lode, the big one underneath, would be found and the real boom It would last eight years. Langhorne Samuel Clemens, his river piloting job . would ensue. interupted by the Civil War, had wandered west to find a new job. The papers were full of promises and exaggerations con^ cernlng the big Washoe strike. Pour thousand claims had been filed in the single year of i860, Clemens joined with three �others suffering from the same fever and set out for Virginia City. The area was touted as the "richest mineral region on God’s footstool," but Clemens soon found out that $4,000 per ton in the papers was more like $400 per ton on the ledger. Clemens, with his three partners, a blacksmith and two lawyers, filed a claim near the Humbolt Mining Gamp. They named it the Monarch of the Mountains dig away at the quartz. and proceeded to Digging and blasting proved to be a difficult way to get rich, Clemens "resigned" several times. When the shaft reached a depth of ^^feet, the partners collected a few of the best samples and headed for Virginia City to do a little promoting. Within days the four had traded for shares in fifty different mines, all highly touted but probably Inferior to the (Q:foot hole they had Just left. Clemens took a Job^ith the Territorial Snterprise <as a reporterf^or $25 per week. He filled a vacancy created when William Wright (who wrote under the name of Dan deQullle) left town at the suggestion of an ir^te reader. Wright was one of the greatest liars of all time. When there was no news were classic. he created some, and his creations One of his best concerned an individual who had Invented a type of vest or armor designed to let the desert traveler remain cool even in the middle of summer at the bottom �of the hottest desert wash. The vest was actually a larcre thin spons^e, Wright wrote, with a water reservoir at the back and a rubber bulb under the arm to act as a pump. squeeze on the bulb, and water saturated the vest. tion of the water cooled the wearer. A Svapora-A The inventor, according to Wright’s news release, headed into Death Valley on a test cruise. A few days later a prospector hurried into a nearby camp asking for help to go rescue the crazy Inventor. It seems the vest worked too well, and he was found sittincr in the noon day sun, frozen stiff, with a foot-long icicle dangling from his chin! Clemens learned a few lessons from Wright, He learned to lie with authority and to do it under an assumed name. At the paper, he signed his work '’^sh,'^*^Later, in 1863, he bevan using the name that brought him fame ~ ^lark Twain, Virginia City had two disastrous fires, Sach time the town rebuilt even finer than before, but each time the fire seemed to signal an Impending bust. The fire of ’63 caused a loss of nearljj^lO million. 4r>115gff. A fire tower was built on the mountain to spot the first smoke of the next disaster. Two years after the town was rebuilt, the first lode ran out and the town shrank from 15,000 to 6,000. 1/ I3o - �Location of the bipc lode brought prosperity again in 1873. Silver was extracted at a phenom’^al rate million a week, about A mint was built in Garson City to handle the gold and silver. The town had ^breweries mak­ ing 75»OOO gallons of hard stuff each year, and well over one hundred saloons were kept busy distributing the supply. low town, 750 miles of tunnels pursued the huge lode. was ^900 million dollars worth of There ore in that lode, the end was found, Virginia City collapsed. When That happened Just two years after the second blflr fire. There had been signs of failure for several years. Many of the shafts were flooding with hot water. High temperatures made for short working times and great expense, Adolph A gentleman named^Sutro proposed a (^:mlle tunnel from the lode under Virginia City to the flats southeast of town. ceived little encouragement. Mine owners could see the end of the lode but weren't about to admit it. tunnel He re»^ Sutro built the and ended up the owner of many of the dewatered mines. It is doubtful that the ore made available was enough to pay the expense of the tunnel. By 1881 the population of Virginia City was less than iFOO. That’s about what it is now, on a miserable day in the middle of the winter. In the summer, crowds of tourists fill the streets. It’s still a boomiandsbust situation in Virginia City, �MAP MOTS I The Virginia City, Mevad^ 15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic map is an excellent source of detailed information. �GOLD HILL, ^3VADA Before it flooded, the Yellow Jacket Mine at Gold Hill, Mevaday^was the biggest producer on the south end of the Comstock Lode, When a blast of dynamite opened a passage to a hot spring, the tunnels flooded with 170: degree water. Miners could work only a few minutes at a time in the hot^humid atmosphere near the water. longer than the work shifts. Hest periods were 3ven allocations of 100 pounds of ice per man per day were not enough to entice men to stay on the job. Sventually the Sutro Tunnel was built and a south lateral connected with the East Yellow Jacket workings. The mine became workable again, but within a short time the lode was exhausted. While it lasted, the Yellow Jacket had poured large payrolls into the life stream of Gold Hill. Back in 1869, tent towns were strung along the length of Gold Canyon from the narrows called Devil’s Gate e. at the south, on up to side canyons appropriatly labeled A Six Mile and Seven Mile. As tunnels located the lodes, the towns consolidated. Virginia City and Gold Hill occupied sites on either side of a low hump in the middle of the canyon. Both towns graduated from tent towns to rock and mud and^finally, to frame and brick. When the big lode was worked, both towns had large numbers of pretentious structures. �Rivalry was srreat. annex Gold Hill. At one time Virginia City attempted to Gold Hill retaliated by attempting to split the county into two chunks and thereby become a county seat equal in status to Virginia City. The effort failed, since it was thought ridiculous to have two county seats within a mile of each other. It appeared, in 1864, that the ore had run out. Things quieted down^and population along the canyon dwindled, but Gold Hill continued to survive, part\duejto its loca*?^ tion on the main supply route to Virginia City. When the big lode was found, both towns boomed bigger than ever. Hill zoomed to nearly 10,000 Gold and bragged of street lamps and three fire companies. The ore ran out for the second time in I878, and in rapid order most of the ponulatlon left for other parts. Saloons shut down^and the Gold Hill Wews ceased publication. -----------------------------------------When the post office closed down in 1943, there Lately some of the old buildings have been converted to residences. Their were less than a dozen people left in town. exteriors have been restored to appear as they did one hundred years ago. The brewery and old hotel are excellent examples. The tovm IS loaded with old wayons. Beer wagons, freight wayons, bugyies^and stagecoaches are found sprinkled about, the proud possessions of ^story-minded citizens bent on reconditlonlny them for display. �I'UP ?TOTS« The Vir«3:inla City, Nevada^ 15, minute United States Geological Survey topographic map shows the town, the Sutro Tunnel, and a number of the sites of small satellite towns. �It takes four maps to understand the lay of the land and to pinpoint items of interest in the White Pine Mountains of Humholt National Forest in east central Nevada. Within a radius ofmiles around the juncture of these maps are enough old town sites, mine rulns^and mill remains to keep a backtroad explorer busy for a week. Roads alternately follow dry canyons and skirt mountains, joining to form a spectacular threes dimensional network. The road into Monte Cristo crosses deposits of e. soft rock that powders easily to a flour-fine consist|^ncy. In places due. the ruts are a foot deep in the nearly fluid resi^ White rooster tails follow each vehicle, and hang sus^ pended long after their passage Monte Cristo lies at the western edge of the Humbolt Mountains, on the sloping foothills immediately below 10,745= foot Mount Hamilton. The Monte Cristo Spring Is a quarter of a mile to the east. A mile to the north, the Silver Sell Mine hangs In a steep side canyon. To the southeast an unnamed tunnel bores into the west shoulder of Pogonip Ridge, Monte Cristo was the first camp in the White Pine District. Sstabllshed in 1865, it served as a mill town for the westislope mines. The ore paid out at less than ^100 a �ton — hardly enough to spawn a rush. For three years the little fives stamp mill pounded away at the stingy ore. Then the whole area seemed to explode as 50,000 prospectors stormed into the White Pine ilountalns. It started when a hungry Shoshone Indian traded some silvershearlng rock for a plate of beans. eventually guided A The Indian Leathers, Tom Murphy, and Md Marchand to the deposit on the far side of a nob that was sequently named Treasure Hill. sub/* The claim staked out was termed the 'bidden Treasure.*^ Old Mapals Jim had accepted a plate of beans in trade for a vein that would later be valued at half a million dollars. The big rush brought some business to Monte Cristo, but J nloQ bp^un-ht thnaufriti tho'faet thatfthe big action was in other parts of the White Pine Moxxntains. The town continued to suffer along on the same MinoTi^inria. inferior ore. After the excitement passed, Monte Cristo was still there. It even expanded with a new mill to handle some better ore being dug Q miles to the west. By I89O, even the mediocre ore deposits were expended, and the town became deserted. Wow there is left onlv a brick smokestack, numerous foundations, some rock walls^and a sod-roofed structure about to collapse. Wearby, the cycle is about to repeat, as tents and trailers are pitched on the site of a "new strike." -1^7- �Freshly planted slyns delineate the claim and express the hopes of the new developers of the "Marjory Lode MAP NOTE J Necessary for a proper guide to the area are the Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, Nevada 15 minute United States Geological Survey topovrachic maps. �HAMILTON, MaVADA u If the Shoshone Ind lan^ Mapias Jim^had known that his mountains would Toe overrun by 50,000/^^^^ite men, he would have gone hungry rather than trade his silver find for that bowl of beans. After Murphy, Leathers, and Marchand claimed the Hidden Treasure Mine in 1868, a boom took place that resulted ^7^ in the construction of a dozen towns, four of which would e^ ceed 5»000 souls. The around would be torn up, roads built, and the local rock reassembled in the form of larae multlK*’ storied places of business. Five years later empire builders would abruptly leave. these same Evidence of their efforts, the larae rock buildings, would endure somewhat longer. Two settlements grew quickly around the first dli^ coveries during the spring of i860one on top of Treasure Hill, the other on its north slope miles away. For a few months the two communities were considered to be the same town and were referred to as White Pine, the name given to the newly created minlna district. Within identities. months the towns had developed separate On the hill was Treasure City. Down below, enjoying a better climate and a dependable water supply, was the town of Hamilton. — /*• �Hamilton quickly 'became a promoter’s dream. Stocks were bought and sold over half a dozen counters. Fortunes were made overnight, and some were lost even quicker. Residential lots sold for a flat A corner lot on main street went for §25.000. The first Fourth of July celebrated in the White Pine District was a combined effort of the competing towns of Treasure City and Hamilton. One town handled the parade the other the debates and speeches. A huge American flag was sewed up, utilizing scrap materials. The blue portion o was cut from a scarf bought from a Mormon family passing through. A few days later, when a financial wheel came to town, the flag served a second purpose. The financier’s money was badly needed, and when he demanded sheets for his straw tick in the local hotel, the flag was torn in half and sacrificed. he was. The investor didn’t realize how lucky Just a few weeks before, the town didn’t have even a hotel, and the one building then in existence (a saloon) was busy 24 hours a day. Within one year of the strike on Treasure Hill, Hamilton had 10,000 residents, a school, a debating club, e and half the Jezjj.bels in Nevada, Miners were living in caves, rock and mud huts ~ even barrels laid end:to:end. The town was designated as the county seat of newly formed White Pine County, and in two months a $55.OOOcourthouse �blossomed. The business district was several blocks long, filled both sides of the street, and contained a number of two:story buildings. The rush to Hamilton was wilder and faster during 1869 than any gold or silver boom in history. It seemed that everyone who had missed out on the Comstock was at Hamilton, determined to get in on the ground floor. When a gun fight broke out between two gamblers, one correspondent from a big city newspaper reported that shots were exchanged all over town, and "unfortunately neither one was shot, but an innocent horse was killed." Nearly two hundred mining companies sent their bullion out to the rail head at Hlko, 140 miles away. Hobberies averaged more than one a week. The Daily Inland Empire published reports of every new find, and that fall a se+f subdivision was laid out to handle the Influx of new citizens. 15,000 before winter set in. The population hit With winter came the cold realization that the silver deposits were shallow and soon would be depleted. Mining stocks became difficult to unload. Companies folded, and construction halted in the town of Hamilton. By spring out. half the citizens of Hamilton had moved An amazing number of fires broke out in the business district. A cigar store owner was caught after setting fire -/// �to his well-insured establishment. He might have escaped a Severn year prison term if he hadn't been spotted shutting the valve of the water supply. As a result of this fire, one third of the town was destroyed. The town is now completely deserted. Only rock walls, some partially collapsed brick structures, a group of frame homes, and a few sod- roof shanties mark the site. There hasn't been a fire on main street for almost 100 years. A MAP MOTE! Mecessary for a proper guide to the area are the Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, Nevada^15 minute United States Geological Survey topographic maps. �JiaaASUHs city, ctada [ Wells Pars:o had an office in Treasure City and miles down the slope of Treasure Hill at another office the town of Hamilton. Each day the staare brought mall to Hamilton, and riders raced up the three;mile stretch to Treasure City. Bets were placed daily, and when a second competing line built offices in both towns became fierce, the competition Claims, mlnes^and entire fortunes were wagered on the mail races, A walk through the deserted town today yields a thrill of a different sort. In some places Open shafts are everywhere. the main street through town ha® to make a quick jog to miss a shaft. Remnants of rock buildings stretch for a quarter of a mile under the brow of Treasure Hill. In the center of town, a rock wall was built to hold mine waste from rolling down on.main street. A Judging from the remains, some of the buildings business were two stories high in front and Q stories at the rear. Some of the rocks used in construction measured more than^^feet on a side. There are remains of more than two dozen such buildings along the west side of the street. All are roofless. Many are merely stubborn corners and partly crumbled walls. Records indicate that during the twosyear period of 1869 and'70, forty-two business establishments were built �and the population passed the 6,000 mark The weather on top of Treasure Hill was abominable. The winters were windy and cold. When the wind slacked, a stinging fog called the "pogonip" set in over the city. It may have been the first case of inversion smog recorded in the state. For a time Hamilton. Treasure City threatened to outshine Hamilton had the county seat, but Treasure City had the largest stock exchange, and seats sold for It had fewer saloons than its neighbor down the hill, but it boasted a larger business district. of town. More than 13,000 claims were filed in the vicinity S20 Much of the ^weiiL.v' million in silver taken in the White Pine District came from these minef. The deposits were shallow. easilv reachedA and quickly depleted. 'r When the silver began to run out in I87O a few mines remained operating, but even those could see the end of their holdings. The big fire of 18?^ wiped out most of the frame portion of town. tered to vote. eighty yeaiA 3y 1880 only ^^people regis/^ The place has been deserted for the last The smos- problem has finally been licked . ----------------------------r\ MAP WOTSJ f The Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, WevadaA15 minute United States Geological 1 V —■“ Survey maps are a proper vuide to this area. —------------------------ ? �J SH^RMAifTOW^^, NSVAD^ Ths sage''”^ush is eight feet tall, and. it grows all over the flats. The remains of Shermantown stand above the sage in a few places but in the main /?/ are hidden be? neath the heavy growth. -Of all the towns in the White Pine District, Shermantown had the most desirable location. Water was plentiful, the soil was good, and the valley^protected. was vulnerable to flood, but rainfall was light. It The town only lasted a few years, and the potential danger of flash flood was never tested. The springs in town furnished water for eight stamp mills and two saw mills. Five smelting furnaces melted down the concentrate produced by the mills. The town boasted a three-story meeting hall, two newspapers, and population of 3,000. Lots sold for as much as •!^2,000. Hocco Canyon, north-? west of town, held a number of paying mines. The Great Valley, Homestake, and ^e We Plus Ultra were all sending ore down the road to Shermantown, Ore wagons brought silver chloride down the canyon from HamlJ^^n. Stage coaches hauled the pure silver back up the canyon, through Hamilton on to 31ko for shipment to government mints, Shermantown's existg^nce was inescapably tied to that Hamilton, Treasure City, and 3berhardt. The latter was the site of one of the smallest, richest open-pit silver �mines in the world When the silver ran out, the mills closed down, and to exist Shermantown lost its reason By 1880, just eleven years after the town had Incorporated, only one family remained, of town Today the place is entirely deserted. At the edge an adobe chimney stands half completed. Its interior was never blackened by fire. Some forming supports remain in,t side the combustion chamber, xiemalns of numerous rock bullc^^ Ings are hidden in the deep sap-e^~brush. Many of the springs have dried up, and their locations can only be determined by wreckage the mill raj^^s nearby. Much of the water runs underground, providing sustenance to the lush desert growth. On the flats in the center of the town site, a small dam has been built to back up water to feed a tiny crusher and shaker. Someone had hopes of separating gold or silver from ore found nearby. Apparently his hopes expired^ <2^ie machine is rusted and Inoperative. The 50,000 miners and prospectors ShSt swarmed over the slopes of the White Pine Mountains apparently found and extracted just about everything of value. MAP MOTS: The Illipah, Pancake Summit, Green Springs, and Treasure Hill, Wevada^l5 minute United States Geological Survey maps are a proper guide to this area._ I, - -y � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Norman Weis Manuscripts Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1971-1987 Description An account of the resource A collection of manuscripts by Casper College professor Norman Weis. <br /><br />This collection includes manuscripts of:<br /><em>Ghost Towns of the Northwest: Known and Unknown<br />The Starduster<br />Two-Story Outhouse<br />Helldorados<br /></em><br />Each manuscript contains written in edits by Norman Weis Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Manuscripts Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Manuscript Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource <em>Helldorados</em> Part III: Nevada Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <div class="element-text five columns omega"> <p><a href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/">http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/</a></p> </div> Date Created Date of creation of the resource. 1975 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Norman Weis Language A language of the resource ENG Is Part Of A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included. Norm Weiss Manuscripts and Photographs, CCA 10.2003.01 WyCaC US. Casper College Archives and Special Collections. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CCA 10.2003.01_Weis_Helldorados_Neva Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource Searchable PDF