White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-10-23
MAIL SERVICE
INAUGURATED TO ELY

Airpiane mali service between EiKO
and Ely was officially inaugurated
Wednesday when United States mail
plane No 144 arrived at the landing
field in East Ely at 1920 in the
morning. The plane was brought in
by Pilot Paul 2. Scott He was ac-
companied by Machinist Griffin, who
with Machinist Forest Matsen will be
stationed at the local landing field.
+. nj. Barber. manager of the United
States airplane mail service at Elko,
was also present, having arrived in
Ely Tuesday evening. He remained
until Thursday morning, completing
details of the newly-established GER
vice to Ely. Three sacks of first-class
mail were brought to the district on
the first trip, considerably less than
the 40G-pound limit allowed. The
mail arriving in the Ely district by
airship Is dispatched to Elko from
the Salt Lake City plane at s o'clock
in the morning and at Elko is trans
ferred to the plane for Ely.
On Wednesdays fight Pilot Scott
followed the Western Pacific railroad
to Shafter and from that point the
line of the Nevada Northern railway
to the landing field. This adds to the
mileage but offers route of plainly
designated landmarks that are lack
ing in the shorter fight at higher al
titude over the mountain ranges and
valleys.
Ely turned out EN- masse to greet
| the arrival OF the first mail plane
| The grade schools were dimsissed,
business houses declared q recess and
| everyone who could walk or find con-
veyance headed for the landing field.
| The hfU county frlIckc and hfOb
school automobiles carried the school
children and every make and style of
automobile in the district was repre-
sented in the gathering. The scene
resembled county fair or a circus,
with the exception that the big tops
were lacking. The landing field had
been cleared, scfaped and rolled, but
as there has been no rain for weeks
and the sun has been on the job every
day the dust was about six inches
deep.
With the arrival of 10 o'clock the
entire assemblage went into session
as a rubber committee. and for the
next half hour there were more eyes
turned toward heaven than ever be-
fore in the history Of the camp. Final
ly the big mechanical bird was
giimpsed far away to the north and
flying midway between the mountain
ranges. The plane. coming fast.
quickly took form and was soon hum
ming over the heads OF the crowd.
The pilot did not attempt an imme-
date landing. but continued his trip
TO Ely as far as the entrance to Rob
inson canyon and then swinging hack
toward the landing field. Twice he
circled above the heads of his gaping
audience and in one of his dips flew
/ so low that the kids hustled for cover
and the grownups actually gasped as
the wind from the whirling propeller
famed their faces. 1t was spectacular
but risky. Had anything unexpected
happened and the heavy. speeding,
! !250-horsepower airship gotten mo-
mentarily beyond control the celebra-
tion would have turned into a sham
bles. Put nothing did happen, and
with a final swoop and turn the plane
came easily to landing at the east
end of the field. rolled along on Its
wheels for a few hundred feet. made
another turn and came to a stop
headed east.
And following the ship to Its land
ing was a cloud of dust as big as
Ward mountain. 1t rolled upon and
surrounded the crowd in dense,
choking, swirling envelope of gloom,
from the midst of which were shouts,
shrieks, gasps. grunts and the roar
and honk of automobiles, with the
humming Liberty motor of the air
ship furnishing the major note.
The dust cloud moved on and the
airship stood revealed, surrounded oy
surging mass of people and cars.
The scene changed with the rapidity
of a movie film. Postmaster Wallace
wiggled his way to the side OF the
plane and received three sacks of
mail; the pilot and his machinist
climbed unconcernedly out from their
seats; a big Standard Oil truck
wormed its way through the crowd
to the plane; Deputy Sheriff Bud Bo-
dell. with a big wrench. climbed on
the deck of the ship and opened the
intake to the gas tanks; and the
newspaper hounds crowded about the
pilot. firing their usual batteries OF
inane questions.
That was about all there was to 1t.
In a few minutes the novelty was
over and Probation Officer Haley was
dashing about through the surging
crowd herding the school kids to the
trucks for the return to durance vile.
In half an hour the grounds were
deserted and the incident of arrival
was of the past.
The plane left on the return trip to
Elko at 230 and before heading
north made a swing over Ely. The
pilot swooped so low over the busi-
ness district that II seemed for a gasp
or two that the airship would rip of
the roof of the Northern hotel. For
tunately this catastrophe was averted.
the plane climbed to higher spaces
and In few minutes had disappeared
In the azure on Its flight Elkoward.
According to the Elko Independent.
Superintendent Barber of the air
plane mail service has forbidden the
pilots to ny at extremely low alti-
tudes over that city The custom.
criticised by citizens. was taken up
by the Elko city council after COM
plant had been made to the mayor
and the order to discontinue low hy-
ing was issued. The order should be
extended tc include Ely. as there u
| no cause to be reckless up in these