White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-05-01
(By B. r. Nll4LER.)
PART TWELVE


nv Creek had a wide reputation as be-
ing a town where entertainment was
always 10 be had and where the Wis.
itor could always be assured cor.
dial welcome and a good time. 1t IL
a well-estahlished fact that Cherry
Creek during her darkest days has
drawn more people to her entertain
ments than any town or city in the
state, the Williamson hall being wide.
ly known. II was common occur.
renee for people to come from Ely.
flfty-fve miles away, Steptoe Butte
and Glover valleys. thirty to sixty
miles, and even from Wells. 100 miles
distant, 10 attend dances at Cherry.
frequently stopping over for day
and dancing both nights
Many of these social functions were
featured by negro eakewalks, about
that time AT the height OF their pop
= llarity. and IL was not uncommon for
Tom Davis. Dolph Sunberg. A. Mac.
Cauley and Fete Cannon TO get 80
people 10 attend these dances The
last cakewalk the writer attended at
Cherry Creek was on St Valentine :
Lay, February IA, 1899, and the oc-
caslon will long be remembered BY
him The prize at this dance was j
cake several feet in diameter and sew
eral feet high which had come by eN-
PRESS from Salt Lake City. The com
petition was, entered by about thirty
couples. backened and masked. 50
that their identity was a dark Sc
Cret.
In capturing this prize the writer
who had for a partner Miss Lucy Cor.
coran. now Mrs John II Eager of
Ely. earned his only claim 10 fame a
resident of White Pine county
Miss Corcoran. who at the time was
making her home with the family of
the writer. was rather tall and quite
slender and as graceful a dancer as
over entered Cherry's famous dancing
hall However, when trimmed up
with cotton batting by Mrs. Miller
she looked as IL she would easily tip
the scales at zoo pounds. while the
writer, stuffed with pillows. appeared
like hefty 250-pounder. As Dinah,
leaning back on the arm of Rastus,
came sweeping gracefully down the
hall her impersonation was So natura,
and lifelike that the musicians. Bill
Campbell. Nora Stratton and Mike
Boyle, must have felt as II they were
doing the honors at the golden wed.
ding of Booker T. Washington. Lei
other old-tlmers claim what niche in
he hall of fame they will. the writer
Seels that in winning this cakewalk
his place has been fairly fixed
Ely was always well represented at
Cherry Greek social affairs, from sir
TO d dozen people always coming with
Fred Clark. who vas always loyal %
Cherry in her darkest days. w. ID
Campbell. living thirty miles south
Mike BOYLE. residing twenty miles
east. and Miss Nora Stratton of Butte
valley. eighteen miles west. furnished
music for most of these entertain.
Inents Mr. Campbell. who resided In
Steptoc valley. always brought his
family and friends aud was claimed
by Cherry as one of its townsmen.
Mr. Campbell. who was one OF the
earliest comers to White Pine county
first located. | believe. about -four
miles south of Jim Weatherington 3
home ranch In White River valley
engaging I'm grain raising In the '7os
The writer first met Mr.. Campbell at
this ranch. stopping over night In
1876 with MIN and his men. all bach.
elors at the time. Bill. as he was
generally known. later married Miss
Laura Miles. ole Of Steptoe valley
fayorite society girls. Mr.. and Mrs
Campbell then bought and located al
family of which they may we'll be
proud.
Mr.. Campbell was not only a sue.
cessful raneher but generally kept
one eye on the mining game. He 10.
Gated some mining claims mile on
40 west OF his home ranch, and one
of them gave promise of being ex-
tremeiy valuable. Mr.. Campbell sold
or bonded the claims to parties who
HNrected a mill. run by water power
at the large spring near the Camp.
hell residence. These parties. after
few trial runs at the mill, got into
financial difficulties and the properts
reverted to MIR. Campbell. To the
writer's surprise when he happened
along some time later he found Mr.
Campbell operating his own mine and
mill. meeting with considerable sue
cess on a small scale. by this time,
through their untiring efforts. Mr.
and Mrs. Campbell had accumulated
considerable property Taxes were
very high. hut all Bill had to do IN
the fall was to make mill run "a
get sufficient money to meet his
taxes. Until 1904. when the writer
left The county. Mr.. Campbell was
still running the little mill at inter
walls, and In addition was tending ia
his grain harvesting, has cutting and
stock raising. With u all Bill was
never too busy To hitch up his team
take his family and neighbors 20 a
dance at Cherry. which, having the
only hall of consequence In the coun'
ty. was a favorite spot for meetings
OF the Masons, Odd Fellows and
Miners unions. these gatherings
helping to break the monotony oi
Cberry's quiet days.
Thomas Davis. we'll known and
popular throughout tho county, ar
rived in Cherry Creek in the latter
Dos when the Star mine went into
the hands of the Exploration com
pany. Mr. and Mrs. Davis were foI
years leaders in Cherry Creeks en-
tertainments and ranked as one OF
the best liked and most popular cou.
pies I'm the community
While dancing was "A DODular di.