Page 70 - 2005 DT 12 Issues

The Eells-Ball team bulled its way
September Henderson?, continued from p. 1 ahead at any cost. After two years, it had
sium plant in god-knows-where, but he built a complete town for 13,000 people,
D e s k S c h e d u l e doesn’t know beans about magnesium. many living in prefabricated homes.
You got know-how guys, but no place to They had a hospital, 12-grade school,
Thur/1 R. Erickson J. Barrett make magnesium. You don’t even have movie house and bowling center.

Fri/2 D./V. Wray D./V. Wray much magnesium. See our point? The work force of 4,500 labored
The Brits did and sent their leading around the clock in the 2,800 acre com-
Sat/3 W. Barbuck W. Barbuck magnesium expert, Major C.J.P. Ball to plex eating in a hanger-like cafeteria
J. Helpin R. Erickson Las Vegas where he paired with Eells with 350 employees who could serve
Sun/4 R. Erickson N. Kresge to form Basic Magnesium, Inc. It was 2,000 diners at a time. In less than a
a dynamic partnership that overcame year of production, BMI was the largest
Mon/5 S. Stenzel D. Powers insurmountable problems, with the help magnesium producer in the world. In
Tues/6 M. Slagle J. Geier of Mr. Henderson’s open pocketbook. 807 days, BMI turned out 166,332,685
Wed/7 J. Geier C. Gilmore Some of the problems: pounds if “Mg,” more than the world
Intrigue: Colonel Ball shipped six had produced up until 1939.
Thur/8 D./V. Wray J. Barrett cases of industrial plans to the U.S. by BMI was so successful, it put itself
Fri/9 R. Linsmeier N. Kresge merchant vessel. It was torpedoed by a out of business. On Nov. 15, 1944,
Sat/10 J. Helpin N. Hanson German submarine and the plans went
to the bottom of the Atlantic. Ball tried
P. VanDooremaal
again. The plans got on another ship
Sun/11 L. Eaton D. Powers and arrived safely. But the second
Mon/12 A. Berg S. Stenzel set of plans had preceded them to
America; they had been microfilmed
Tues13 M. Slagle E. Schliepp and flown across the Atlantic as insur-
Wed/14 V. Sperry C. Gilmore ance.

Thur/15 Open J. Barrett Grubbs: Railroads between north
and south Nevada had been torn up
Fri/16 Open N. Kresge
for scrap iron. How do you get the
Sat/17 L. Eaton J. Helpin ore over 350 miles of desolation? Basic Magnesium Plant Courtesy Maryellen Sadovich
J. Kissosondi You retrofit every truck in sight and Washington closed down production.
in two years you have an oversized ore The Air Corps had enough Mg to last
Sun/18 Open M./L. Utah
truck arriving at BMI every 35 minutes a decade of hot warfare and WWII had
Mon/19 R. Linsmeier S. Stenzel of every day. only 10 months to run. When Japan sur-
Tues/20 Open J. Geier People power: Manpower was tied rendered in August, the factory and town
to the Armed Forces and existing de-
V. Sperry were moribund. The schools lost two-
fense plants. Where could BMI recruit thirds of their enrollment. Whole blocks
Wed/21 J. Geier C. Gilmore leftovers? Eells blanketed the Deep of frame bungalows were vacated.
Thur/22 I. Grieco J. Barrett South for blacks and women as well as Henderson was gasping for life and
Fri/23 Open E. Schliepp white men. They might have to sleep in nobody cared—except maybe the Post
cars or bedrolls or shanties, but it was Office. It inexplicably decided to name
Sat/24 M. Lolich M. Lolich worth it. For many, BMI paid their first the town after Daddy Warbucks—Hen-
N. Hanson living wage. derson, Nev.! Whose idea was that?
Sun/25 B. Saperstein M./L. Utah Unfriendly neighbor: Las Vegas’ Not Charles Henderson’s. He was un-
dream of a population explosion with derwhelmed by the honor. Maybe he
Mon/26 S. Stenzel Open workers on Boulder Dam a decade earlier felt, as most people did, that the town’s
Tues/27 V. Sperry Open had been thwarted by the government’s name would soon be engraved on a
Wed/28 Open C. Gilmore decision to build Boulder City. This time, tombstone. But Henderson—the town,
Vegas vowed the workers of BMI would not its reluctant namesake—had fate on
Thur/29 I. Grieco J. Barrett be housed in its jurisdiction. That set
Fri/30 Open R. Erickson off a nasty feud between Las Vegas and its side. c
incipient Henderson that lasts until this Next month: How Las Vegas pow-
Changes/fill-ins? Call Gina Mele, 515-5355 day. But more of that later. erbrokers hounded Eells out of BMI

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