White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-09
A|RPLANE MAIL SERVICE
IN IMMEDIATE FUTURE

The citizens committee which met,
organized and passed resolutions q
few weeks ago in Ely for the pur-
pose of securing better mail service
for the Ely district certainly started
something. Since that important
event senators. congressman. postof-
fee department officials at Washing
ton, airplane and mail service at
taches at Elko. local railway and
United States railway mail officials
have awoke with startling suddenness
and kept the wires into Ely hot with
words of encouragement and reports
that progress was being made
This activity on the part of the
outside world has been met with
equal activity on the part of the city
and county officials. the citizens COM
mittee and committees from the Ely
Chamber of Commerce
Ely is going to have adequate mail
service, and that right soon.
1t looks now as though this service
was TO he by airplane-three times a
week from Elko. Mondays. Wednes-
days and Fridays-the alternate days
on which the mail Is not carried be-
tween Ely and Cobre by train. This
VIII mean mail from the outside six
days n week, every day but Sunday
The novelty of the airplane feature
and the prominence 1t will give Ely
will for the time being Offset the dis
appointment of not getting service to
include Sundays also.
The airplane possibility is of re-
cent development. Last week when
the News went to press the idea was
that the mail would he carried be-
tween Cobre and Ely on the alternate
days of train service by an automo-
bile truck designed to run on the
rails of the Nevada Northern railway
Then on Monday came telegram
from Senator Pittman to II. w. Ed
wards. chairman of the citizens COM
mite. saying that airplane service
might be secured. and since then ev-
erything has been up in the air, so to
speak.
The airplane service appeared to
hinge on whether or not suitable
landing place could and would be
provided by the citizens of Ely This
detail was quickly decided in the af-
firmative by the citizens acting
through the proper officials and COM
mittees. Nature has already provid-
ed the landing place and all the citi-
zens have to do is to groom 1t up a
little for the airship's arrival.
The climax came Friday mrning
when at 1926 o'clock a telegram
was received in Ely announcing that
a mail plane would arrive here at
1880 and asking that a smoke signal
be sent up from tho landing place 30
that the pilot would be guided In
alighting. The preparations asked
fr.v& W., n M
il became generally known that the
airship was coming there was pro-
cession of automobiles headed for the
landing field and carrying prominent
citizens to meet the air cruisers. In
the 'mpromptu reception committee,
which was headed by Chairman II.
w. Edwards, who was really respon-
sible for all the commotion. were city
and county officials. prominent busi-
ness men. Chamber of Commerce rep
resentatives, newspaper reporters and
almost everybody.
The signal fire was lighted on the
Peale addition. east from East Ely,
not great distance northeast from
the Ely Packing Company's plant and
adjacent tc the Lincoln highway. 1t
is the same location used last year
by the Salt Lake aviators and has
been pronounced by the fiers as well
adapted for landing purposes.
The plane arrived on schedule at
1881 and dropped down from the
azure heights with the speed and
grace of n bird. Cutting a great COM
pass over the valley floor the ship
headed north. then turned again. hav-
ing picked up the location. and glidej
gracefully to a perfect landing.
Arriving with the plano were f.
Hamilton Barber. manager OF the
United States air mail service station
at Elko. and Pilot Kenneth r. Unger.
regular air mail pilot between Salt
Lake and Elko. The visitors were
warmly greeted and after the formaii-
ties and an inspection of the ship the
birdmen were escorted to ely for
luncheon at the American cafe.
Manager Barber gave out the in
formation that he had received in
sffuctions from headquarters to han
die mail between Elko ara Ely three
times a week, MONDAYS. Wednesdays
and Fridays. He could not say def
initeiy just when the service would
go into effect. The mail plane can
carry 400 pounds at trip. 1t is be-
lieved this will meet local require
ments OF first and second class mail
The two air travellers remained
here until 2:30 and then sailed away
on the return trip to Elko But dur
ing their visit in Ely their time was
fully occupied and they entertained
those citizens who met them with in
teresting details Of their trip from
Elko. the distance of $50 miles hav-
ing been made in one hour and nine
teen minutes. which included time
lost by first making McGili before
proceeding up the valley to Ely. The
highest altitude reached was 10000
feet and easy sailing was expert
enced most OF the way with the ex-
ception of having to bump some air
currents in crossing mountain ranges.
Manager Barber expressed his sat
isfaction at the landing field and Its
location. In speaking upon the sub
ject in general he said that IL the
mail route was established between
Elko and Los Angeles. Ely would be
a int n nA iatA rAint onA thAp0tN~a