Page 62 - 2007 DT 12 Issues
P. 62

August                        Virginia City, continued from p. 1   the school had closed, and just two
                                                                                  years later the Virginia and Truckee
            D e s k   S c h e d u l e        lay dormant because the owner was    did the same. Although the rails were
                                             fighting with the Confederate Army in   torn up for scrap metal to help the
        Wed/ 1   OPEN         OPEN           the east. As the story goes, he found   World War II effort, the actual rolling
        Thurs/2  G. Wojciecowski  F. Davis   the missing man and bought the claim   stock was saved, bought by Holly-
                  -------------   J. Barrett  for $500. The mine turned out to be a   wood. When close to three miles of
        Fri/3    G. Fazio     OPEN           bonanza and he became rich. Another   track were laid between Virginia City
                                                                                  and Gold Hill in 1976, the trains ran
        Sat/4    R. Conductor   K. Nelson                           miner  had    again, but now they hauled tourists.
        Sun/5    D. Langdon   OPEN                                  a  different     The big gold and silver strikes are
        Mon/6    OPEN         OPEN                                  story, but in   gone, but Virginia City is still a gold
        Tues/7   M. Slagle    M. Pults                              the end it in-  mine of  history like no other. The
                                                                    volved  the
                 H. Weldon    -------------                         acquisition   wooden-planked sidewalks echo with
        Wed/8    V. Sperry    OPEN                                  of  a  mine   the sound of boots from the glory days.
        Thurs/9  B. Wolin     F. Davis                              that spelled   Old buildings contain shops now, but
                  -------------   J. Barrett                        riches.  His   you can use your imagination—this is
        Fri/10   G. Fazio     P. Williams                           name  was     where the bustling Western town had it
        Sat/11   P. VanDooremaal  C. McLaughlin                     G e o r g e   all; hotels, restaurants, banks, bawdy
                                                                                  houses, saloons, and even an opera
        Sun/12   D. Langdon   OPEN                                  H e a r s t ,   house . . . .  And, yes, Virginia City's
        Mon/13  J. McManus    M Gossmann                            the  father   "Boot Hill" is still there, a testimony
        Tues/14  M. Slagle    OPEN          James Finney, “Old Virginny”  of  William   to the days when the six-gun often
                 H. Weldon    --------------  Randolph Hearst who built the im-   decided  an  issue.  Getting  there  is
        Wed/15  OPEN          OPEN           mense publishing empire.             easy, Hoss. Just saddle-up and ride
                                                 It seemed that nothing could im-
        Thurs/16  G. Wojciecowski   F. Davis  pede the rise of Virginia City. "The   a few miles south of Reno.  
                 V. Sperry    J. Barrett     flush times were in magnificent flow-
        Fri/17   G. Fazio     P. Williams    er," wrote Mark Twain. But on October   Footnote:    James  Finney,  "Old
        Sat/18   J. Kisosondi   C. McLaughlin  18, 1875, the town was shattered by a   Virginny,"  the  prospector  after  whom
                                                                                  Virginia City was named, sold his original
        Sun/19   K. Nelson    M./L. Utah     devastating fire. A reduced edition of   claim for less than $100 and died broke
        Mon/20   G. Wojciecowski   F. Davis  the Territorial Enterprise put it into   in 1861.
                 ----------------   J. Barrett  dramatic words: "There was a con-
        Tues/21  D./V. Wray   D./V. Wray     vulsion in Virginia City yesterday. A
        Wed/22  B. Wolin      R. Keough      breath of hell melted the main portion   News & Notes, continued from p.5
        Thurs/23  G. Wojciecowski   F. Davis  of the town to ruins . . . a whirlwind
                 ----------------   J. Barrett  of storm and fire. The catastrophe is  Graffiti Removal
        Fri/24   OPEN         P. Williams    appalling." The story of disaster went
                                             on, but the paper declared, "We know
                                                                                     Volunteers are needed to assist
        Sat/25   K. Nelson    OPEN           our people will rally from this blow."  as “Tag Team” leaders for graffiti re-
                 I. Hyman     -------------  And so they did. The town sprang back  moval throughout the Canyon. BLM
        Sun/26   D. Langdon   M./L. Utah     to life with new buildings, including an  training  will  be  provided.  Graffiti
        Mon/27  D./V Wray     D./V. Wray     impressive courthouse and a two-story  removal teams will be organized un-
        Tues/28  M. Slagle    J. Geier       school with heating and indoor water.  der a subcommittee of the Natural
                 H. Weldon    --------------  However, Virginia City's great days  Resources Committee.
        Wed/29  M. Gossmann  J. Geier        were numbered; the 1890s ushering       Training will begin after September 1.
        Thurs/30  G. Wojciecowski   F. Davis  in the end with the stock market crash  Distinctive uniforms or wearables will be
                 ----------------   J. Barrett  of 1893. The great mines were running  provided by Friends for Team leaders.
        Fri/31   OPEN         OPEN           out, and to top it off, Congress elimi-  Please call Blaine Benedict at the
                                             nated the silver standard for coins. The  Red Rock Canyon Interpretive Asso-
        Changes?  Call  Kate  at  515-5350   town went steadily downhill. By 1936  ciation at 258-8265 to sign up.
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