METROPOLIS----DREAM CITY---RUDELY AWAKENED

I WAS DRAGGED TO THIS EXPERIENCE BY MY COMPANION---and I'm so so glad!  Turns out to be a wonderful adventure requiring two days to absorb.

She said that out there---12 miles into the Nevada desert are the remains of a grand vision.

And this was to be the start of it:  A  dam on Bishop creek.  You would never guess what this dam is made of:  BRICKS---MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF BRICKS salvaged from the 1907 earthquake in San Francisco and shipped here on rail cars. I will let a historian summarize for you:

In 1911 the Pacific Reclamation Company had big plans.  They would create a marvelous city named Metropolis (twelve miles northwest of Wells, Nevada).  To support this grand city they would farm the desert.  They had the land, the seed, the people, and the water.  Put it all together, and with a lot of hard work, life would be grand.  This page is about the water.  To irrigate their lands they built a substantial dam in Bishop Creek and ran a ditch to the upper end of Metropolis.  Unfortunately, by 1947, "drought, water rights litigation, high interest rates, jackrabbits and Mormon crickets contributed to the demise of the town and surrounding farms."    Not much is left of the town, nothing is left of the fields, but the dam, ah the dam, the ditch and the reservoir - there is much to see on this page.

HOWARD HICKSON'S

Elko County Place Names

So out there we went.  If you look closely you can see one of the more prominent structures.

We're almost there the ruins of a once modern school.

I settled in this precise spot because it is where Eleanor Roosevelt stood to address a crowd

on the opening of the school.

The weather was beautiful and we wandered around several miles of what was a 40,000

acre development.

The basement schoolrooms were eerie.

The town has two bronze plaques.

A still utilized cemetery with this helpful diagram of who is buried where.  Some

descendants of the original 700 citizens still live in nearby farms.

The remains of a grand hotel with generators and air conditioning.

The second plaque

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES---Someone else has told the story better than I .  Click here::

http://www.supermansupersite.com/metropolisnev.html

And if you would like to see what an invasion of Mormon crickets looks like. click here:

http://randyanddiana.blogspot.com/2007/06/invasion-of-mormon-crickets.html  That's me standing in the middle of them. (Thank you Diana for the link)

One personal lesson I learned here was to say YES to the suggestions of my companion---and YES to more things in general.  She  wheedled me into a bar in Wells, Nevada to watch the triple crown race and I met a host of interesting people and got the scoop on the doings at a brothel only a hundred yards away,. Yesterday she persuaded me into the hills of Montana to walk a Labyrinth. (will show you later)

Other truths made obvious here:

1. WATER IS FUNDAMENTAL

2. TAMPERING WITH ANY LINK IN THE WEB OF LIFE HAS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.  Settlers thought coyotes were a nuisance and killed them off-----and were overrun  with rabbits.

3. GRAND VISIONS ARE BEST ACHIEVED IN SMALL STEPS.

EUREKA NEVADA-----TOWN WITH A PROBLEM LIKE NO OTHER

EAT YOUR HEART OUT DETROIT----THIS TOWN HAS TOO MUCH MONEY.
I'll tell you why later.  For the moment consider that you're a county commissioner--whose job is to spend the money responsibly.  Your town has about 600 people.  The county another 500 or so.  Your budget: A WHOPPING 40 MILLION.

But first an update:  I now have a travel companion.  Our paths crossed right here and we are both headed for Missoula, Montana.  Terrific to have a brilliant friend to share the experience with.

We climb the surrounding hills to get an overview of this small town of 600 or so.

It was an old (1865) remote gold mining town largely vacated---only 2 or 3 blocks long.

With lots of old miner shacks scattered about.

AND THEN-----AND THEN

GOLD JUMPED TO $1600.00 AN OUNCE

FARSIGHTED CANADIAN MINING COMPANIES MOVED IN

REOPENED THE MINES

GOLD CAME ROLLING OUT OF THE MINES

80 MILLION A YEAR  IN ROYALTIES PAID

HALF GOES TO THE STATE

HALF TO THE COUNTY 

40 MILLION A YEAR TO SPEND ON ITSELF 

HOW DO YOU THINK THEY SPENT THE MONEY?

Well, They built the 2nd largest fire department in the state,

 a terrific senior citizens center with well paid personnel serving near-gourmet meals daily.

They renovated an old k thru 6th school for 17 million,

Built a new high school for humpteen million to serve about a hundred and fifty students.

The graduating class this year was 14.

And every high school needs a new football stadium.  This one would serve the NFL. 

The VANDALS could hosts the Vikings.

And of course every small town needs a state of the art Swimming facility

AND A NEW GYM---cost: 14 million.  Has an indoor running track and  fully equipped fitness paraphernalia.  No small town should be without one. 

And hey, while were at it--lets build a fairgrounds worthy of our status.

Where we can practice our rodeo skills.

And special dumpsters for hoss manure.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:   Ah sweet people---we had quite a visit---talked to some knowledgeable and friendly people.  Here's what I think I learned:

1. Canadian companies edged out their American competition because they take the long view and are not so eager for short term profit.

2. Gold must sell for at least $1000.00 an ounce for the mines to continue operation.

3. County commissioners spent all this money because they were more or less compelled to.  County law requires that everything above a certain threshold of reserve funds be spent on improvements.  The obvious solution is to change the threshold of savings.

I found a citizen of influence and told him how the province of Alberta, Canada dealt with a similar problem: (a vast surge of oil wealth):  they created an HERITAGE FUND and poured billions and billions into it---saved for a "rainy day".  He said he would pass on the tip.

4. That the Chinese are players here also---investing billions in a nearby mine.

5. That water rights here are often more valuable than the land over it.

6.  That the 14 million for a new Gym (already had a serviceable one) finally outraged the citizenry and in the last election the whole board was voted out.

MINING "GOLD' IN A GOLD MINING TOWN

"GOLD" for me is interesting people, ideas and experiences.  Come walk around with me in Pioche Nevada and I will show you how to mine "gold".

I roll into town and find it's heart----that is the place to start.

Park my rig, get out and walk-- activating my "noticer".

The first thing I notice is this---town pride in their softball team.

Then this!  I'm guessing it's the buggy whip trading post.  

Inside a very large room filled with junk on the left---

junk on the right--

and junk down the middle.

This damaged player piano catches my eye and stirs memories---we had a functioning one of these in our home.  You pump the pedals and the thing would play---surprisingly well.

Songs are encoded on paper rolls.  We had that song:  Bill Bailey and about 50 others.

Lots of fun playing it.

And we had one of these.  It's an ironing machine---supposedly speeds up the task--don't remember it working very well.

And then I found the owner--far in the back---80 plus years old and obviously a gun enthusiast.

I introduced myself and asked a seminal question:  Do you enjoy owning all this stuff?  Immediately he responded: "I HATE IT!! I HATE ALL OF IT!!"  I let that soak into me---then said:  Why then??......He said: "because I'm too old to do anything else----and I can't live off my social security."  He said it amazed him that people would actually buy this stuff---but they do.

Because he was hard of hearing, I resisted the urge to give him a pep talk.  I left with a heavy heart--a living being chained to dead stuff.

Continuing my walk I notice these dilapidated steps leading to a second layer of this town.

At the top of the steps, this quirky structure---did not learn its secrets.

But up top were the better houses and maybe the towns' "sweller" folks.  I walked the street--left and right.

Till I happened across these busy fellows---very serious about their digging.  The larger one's pants slipping down.  When they noticed me, I asked (of course). They said they were looking for old bottles.  I didn't believe them.  I think they were looking for treasure---likely inspired by a recent find of gold coins buried in a coffee can---worth 4 million.

Someone in this building is a friend to us RV travelers---and for countless years has provided something wonderful for us behind it.

Here it is---A FREE RV PARK--with water, trash service and electricity for 2 full weeks.  Don't know why---didn't find out.

Noticed this!  Can you guess what its about?  It is the result of a hole drilling contest.  Not surprising, when you think about it-- for a mining town amusement.

I was leaving town---feeling complete---when this fellow---literally yelled at me in his muley way--to come over and say hi.  I gathered up some carrots and had a nice visit with him.

Then headed off to a different town---a real doozy-- you will find hard to believe till I show you proof.

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES:  The most glittering "gold" I gleaned in this town was from the junk shop:  Dead things holding a live man prisoner.  Now that I think about it--It's perhaps the most common type of imprisonment.  And when I think about it more deeply it is almost always dead things that imprison us:  MEMORIES-----THE PAST. ( I can almost hear my friends Wayne and 

Brad say to me: Amen Randy---by jove I believe you've GOT IT)

WHAT IS TO BE LEARNED IN A MORMON TOWN?

I ENGAGED THIS UNUSUAL PAIR ---Sonny and Joy-- outside a small town in Nevada.  They met on the internet and agreed to travel and hike together.  Both were delightful and fun to chat with.

Sonny threw together this ad-hoc camper and they hit the road. 

Have been all over the west seeking out hiking trails and interesting places to camp.

While sharing a melon and other goodies with me they told me about a warm spring I might enjoy visiting just outside Panaca, Nv.  

So I went there!

and settled in!

From the hilltop you can see the 3 square miles that constitute this squeaky clean old (1864) Mormon settlement of 900 souls---with nary a liquor store---the only "dry" town in Nevada and one of two with no gambling.

From my doorway I can see my neighbors, a sizable Latino family, at the pool on this Memorial day weekend.

I join them and the local folks in the pool.

Strike up a friendship with the father.  Soon he comes over with a delicious chicken and avocado dinner for me.

This local oldster speeds over on a newfangled recumbent bike.

Next day a flock of bikers drop in for a swim.

I walk the countryside in the evenings and this herd of cows came over to greet me.  They stood in rapt attention as I quoted my poem about cows. Read it here:

http://mobilecodgers.blogspot.com/2010/06/where-exactly-is-shangri-la.html

RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: So what have I learned about Mormon towns?  Basically this:  THAT VERY NICE PEOPLE CAN BELIEVE CRAZY THINGS WHILE CREATING A VIGOROUS AND VIABLE CULTURE.  If you doubt this consider the Greek civilization--- built on a set of myths about Zeus and Poseidon---or the Early Islamic culture built on the crazy notion of an angel dictating the Koran to Mohammed.  The Christian culture is likewise based on myths.

What is unique about the Mormon myth is that it is PROVABLY FALSE---SCIENTIFICALLY.  You can satisfy yourself on this point by simply googling: Mormons and horses or how science invalidates Mormonism. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeology_and_the_Book_of_Mormon 

Recently I engaged 3 Mormon Missionaries and asked them if they knew about the BOOK OF

 ABRAHAM  Neither of them did-- though it is right there in their Holy book, The Pearl of Great Price and is the single most damning evidence of fraud.  They never heard of it---was not a part of their indoctrination.

A little more research persuaded me that Mormonism is a dying religion: 40% of returning missionaries leave the church after their mission. Fully 50% of new converts are no longer active after a year.  And of the 15 million members the church claims---only 5 million are active in the church.  I believe it will fade to insignificance in a hundred years and it will be the exposing  internet that did them in.  Had the internet been around in the first century--it would have doomed Christianity also.

The world is moving rapidly toward I DON'T KNOW--ISM---a very honest and healthy place regarding the great mysteries of life.