White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-10-28

during the previous two weeks and
Hamilton in like manner for hfty-four
years, took its final departure for its
former home in San Francisco last
week in a Nevada Northern freight
car, there to remain and be viewed
by the thousands of souvenir lovers
through the ages.
The engine had been brought in
from Hamilton on request of san
Francisco organizations and citizens
who had acquired its ownership and
lay here on the street for all the
parts to arrive in front of the Metho-
dist church. It vas Grated with tim
bers and lumber for shipment in
safety meanwhile.
Probably there is no record here
Of when it came to the coast, but it
arrived by way of either the Horn or
the isthmus during the years between
duty in fighting many a fire.
duty n fighting many a fire.
During the latter decade it was ac-
ouired by the fire department of Vir-
ginia City and transported to that
city, where it must have been the
identical contraption with which
Buck Fanshaw, Scotty Briggs and
their comrades used many 4 time to
quell the flames and also to manuver
themselves into undying fame, par
TALLY through the conspiring assist
ance of Mark Twain, who fictioned
them into real persons, inseparable
from the early days of Nevada.
Finally, in 1869, after already win
ming immortality, the worthy old en-
CINE and outfit were obtained by the
fire department of Hamilton and to
the White Pine capital and metropo-
lis it was transported-of course by
bull team, the then means of moving
freight across the vast desert from
city to city.
Fire departments We're the aristo-
Gratis of early mining camp protec-
tive organizations. Firemen were
down or stand aside. No military
renown, no glory of combat with
savage ,or desperate compared with
their bravery or exploits, as meas
ured in the minds of the p%opulace, a
large portion of which was comprised
by themselves and their admirers who
fostered the belief that the ground
upon which they tread was entitled
to be worsnipped.
So it was at Virginia City when
the self-same equipment was trans
ferred to the only other mining me
tropolis in this state of teen.ing gold
hunters, it can be understood that
the old engine was accepted as be-
ing endowed with glorics Of the past
and a record to sustain
While it did it's duty SO many
times that they cannot be recalled.
it justifes its presence most of all
in the conf1agration of 10. when Jake
Rosenthal, previously a mercantile
captain of White Pine, decided upon
a short cut tn wealth by discarding
ceremony and business maxins taught
in books, planning to collect the in
surance money after setting fire to
his store.
Rosenthal spent the next twenty
years in the Carson ~penitentiary on
a still longer sentence, but termi-
mated it then by dying within it's
confines. Murder may have been
condoned and ignored in the admin
istration of the laws of the time, but
for arson Jake Rosenthal got his.
Later on for some reason not Of
reference the old engine fell into
disuse and when the second great
fire of 'S5 came, which took the
courthouse. a bucket brigade failed
TO prove worthy of the title of its
great predecessor and the building
and every form of records of the
county prior to that time were the
price paid.
Along about that time, it being the
declining years of the mining metrop-
oils. the hallowed machine and out
it were left within their housing
AS years succeeded years the shell
ter gave way to tho mighty on
slaughts of the elements in the form
of wind and snow. The building be.
came a shell ard worse than a shack,
and board after boarl disappeared
from wall and roof until there was
no semblance of firehocse loft.
Al tdoL tle hoW ISstoulCu CQttip
2nent stood ont beneath sun, skies
and moon There it stood for up.
wards of two five wears, and this
accounts more than use or other form
of abuse for its decrcpit condition
of 1928.
Beyond the nOndescript appear
ance of the vehicle or vehicles COM
prising the outfit. weather deteriora-
ton made for it's utter decay 70 the
point Of near total dissolution and
falling apart.
On Two sides of the old engine as
it arrived in Ely were metal plates,
of the same color and almost identi-
acl lettering with auto rumber plates
Of last year-gray for plates and
black for the letterng-saying lily
man No. T." These do not look old
enough to have ben there more
than a year or two. or else an ex-
ceptional quantity of paint was used.
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