Nevada State Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 19

SUNDAY. DECEMBER 16. 1945 NEVADA STATE JOURNAL RENO, NEVADA PAGE FIFTEEN Thorne Station Was A Busy Place DESERT POST FELTEFFECT OF WAR BOOM Force Is Augmented 20 Times at Lonely Spot (From the Southern Pacific Bulletin) One of the extraordinary effects of the war upon railroading was the sudden transformation of many small stations to centers of bustling industrial and military activity Among the foremost of such agencies on lines was Thorne, Nevada, on Salt Lake division's Mina branch Thorne is the receiving and delivery point for the naval ammunition depot at Hawthorne, one of the largest munitions storehouses in the nation. When the United States went to war, was handling 380 carloads of freight a month in and out of Thorne A year later the traffic had swelled to 2202 carloads and it continued to increase until it reached 5000 cars in single month during peak operations New facilities were constructed and the agency was expanded until 20 persons were employed there Business handled increased from less than $60,000 during all of 1938 to more than $11,500,000 in the month of August, 1944, the high spot of operations at the little station Now, with the nation return to peacetime status, the mushroom growth at Thorne has subsided and business is returning to normal Thome's history dates back to the colorful days of Nevada mining boom when prospectors roamed th country, digging fortunes in silver and other minerals. In May, 1880, the Carson and Colorado Railroad Company was incorporated under the laws of the state of Nevada and was backed by E.

Sharon, one-time senator from Nevada, and Mills, mining magnate The line ultimately extended from Keeler, California, to Mound House, Nevada. Business was to be developed by creating Increased interest in the mines and both promoters saw a bright future for the road In 1881 the line was placed in operation and the following year Mills saw his railroad for the first time making an inspection As the tnp progressed his optimism over the 's future dropped lower and lower and when asked his opinion of the venture he replied: "This railroad is either 300 miles too long or it was built 300 years too soon Despite Mills' pessimistic observation, the lane flourished for ten years after it opened. But in the 1890's the pnce of silver tobogganed the mmos closed and the line all but pa'sed out of existence, recalling the words of one critic who said, "It's tho first railroad I ever sav that began nowhere, ended nowhere and stopped all night to think it over The line was not destined for extinction, howevei, but began to go places in 1900 when it was taken over by Southern Pacific and placed on an economical operating basis. New mines had been discovered in southern Nevada anc soon was hauling vast quantities of ore In 1905 the narrow gauge north of Tonopah Junction was replaced with standard gauge track That same year the spur line into Hawthorne was abandoned and Thorne became the railroad terminus for vthe town Thorne continued as a one-man agency until 1929 when the government began constructing the naval ammunition depot Then began a new activity climaxed by World War II and continuing until last August. As the war advanced it became necessary to install additional facilities to handle the traffic and in 1943 S.

P. started enlarging the layout to house freight sheds, baggage room, office and wa'tmg room under one roof Besides the unprecedented move- NATIONAL FLU SPREAD SEEN No Danger of 1918 Repetition WASHINGTON, Dec 15 (UP)-Public health service reports disclosed tonight that a nationwide influenza epidemic is in the early stage but that there is no danger of a repetition of the devastating epidemic of 1918 The report shows that cases jumped from 5,240 on Nov 24 to 13,220 on December 1, then to 49694 on Dec 8, latest date of A health official said the epidemic is in such an early stage that it is not possible to foretell what pioportions it may reach But it will be nothing like 1918 That epidemir began in October, a month before world war one was over, and killed more than persons over a 10-month period. There never has been an influenza outbreak to compare with it although there have been 15 since 1918 The affliction now current is not of the virulent type There have been no deaths reported ment of freight, passenger business at Thorne soared with a great influx of navy personnel Thorne station is supervised by Agent A Tomhn, who has been there since 1919 Tomlm's mannei of making friends and handling business established him as an e- fective representative for the com pany in its relations with con trading and navy officials during construction of the ammunition depot and the subsequent movement of traffic Tomhn and his station force proved to be real home-front soldiers all through the war, main- ammg a record almost completely free of absenteeism Recognition of their service was voiced by Trainmaster McCuiston hen he said, "The tremendous amount of work turned out at this station is a testimonial of their a i attendance to duties SMILED MECHANICS WANTED! Good-paying now opai with Southern Pacific, big- teat railroad: Sheet Metal WeHwn See 8. P. today--a good outfit to be with, plenty of work.

S-P or-im SEE OR WRITE J. A. McKINNON, Ant. Sueerhrtewdeiir. Seerfu, yew aeerett t.

Aaeett. In the above account of Thorne war-time advance to a very busy station on the Southern Pacific's line from to Mina, a few historic highlights were skipped When Tonopah and later Goldfield were booming camps and in the spotlight of the mining world Thorne was little more than a whistling post on the desert within view of Walker Lake and Hawthorne, then the center of aclivatv for the old road and also the county seat of Esmeralda county The gauge road extending from Mound House, where it connected with the to Keeler, Calif felt the impact of the revival of mining in Esmeralda and Nye counties and in 1904 the Southern Pacific became interested The Hazen cut-off was constructed, standard gauge The road from theie to Mina was also rebuilt standard gauge and in 1905 was extended to Tonopah and Goldfield Thorne then became the railroad terminus for Hawthorne and the old depot Hawthorne, still standing became a business house Late in 1909 and in 1910 Thorne again became a very busy place enjoying the fruits of the Lucky Boy boom, where the late Senator John Miller and associates, were digging out great quantities of silver. Lucky Boy a few miles frqm Hawthorne on the Aurora road, was a rip-roaring camp for a few years and ten and twenty horse teams hauled ore down the winding and steep grade thrdugh Hawthorne to Thorne where the ore was loaded on cars Thorne lapsed back to a one- man station when mining activity at Lucky Boy subsided but took At Thorne, near Walker Lake, on the branch of the Southern Pacific railroad, things began to boom after Pearl Harbor, and 4gcnt A. G. Tomlln soon found himself surrounded by a large force The station wag enlarged and the railroad corn- pan credits the force at Thorne, supply point for the Hawthorne naval munitions depot, with doing a bane-up job Top picture shows the enlarged depot The next picture, second from top, shows the force outside the depot taken a few months ago They are, reading left to right Agent A.

G. Tomlln, Mary Frey, Muriel Williams, Gordon Williams, Chief Clerk W. Croplej, Violet Croplej, 3. H. Bowers 41vma Huska, Fred Thumulka, Beatrice LaBounty, Ruth Thumulka, Norma Moody, Ethel Bnggess, Norm a Markettl, Emily Barlow, Ami Sordl, A.

West. E. Wagner, 3 Ward. The office force at work Is shown In the next picture, while the lower picture is of Agent Tomlin in working attire. on new life when the Hawthorne munitions depot was constructed by the navy From Hawthorne, in the days before munitions storage, igloos dotted the desert and spur tracks traversed the area, Thorne was a dot in the distance Desert distances arp deceiving however, because it was a long walk from Hawthorne to Thorne in sand that was deep in the rutted roads Take it from one who alked Former Fernley Resident Dies FERNLEY Dec 15 (Special) -Word has been received here ot the death of Mrs Otto Coppels at Oakland, Calif November 5 Mr and Mrs Coppels ard family were Fernley residents some years ago, operating the business now owned by Mr and Mrs A.

R. Kramer. MASTER WATCHMAKER GUARANTEED REPAIRS PROMPT SERVICE TIME SHOP 2nd flK ARE YOU LOOKING FOR OTILIO RIVERA AND HIS FINE MUSIC? HE'S NOW PLAYING AT LA FIESTA WANTED TO BUY OLD COINS In Good Condition Drop a Card for Detai Is VAN'S COIN SHOP 17 WEST SIXTH STREET GEN. MARSHALL TAKES PLANE TO CHUNGKING Difficult Diplomatic Assignment for Ex-Chief WASHINGTON, Dec" 15 UP-Gen George Marshall left for Chungking by plane today on one of this country's most difficult diplomatic assignments as President Truman's personal representative to China The former army chief of staff took off from Washington national airport in a deluxe C-54 transport at 9 06 EST He is scheduled to arrive in Chungking next Thursday Chungking time Even as Marshall was leaving, the controversy over this country's policies on China broke out anew as Rep Hugh Delacy, Wash again criticised the position toward her Far Eastern ally Speaking over a national radio network (NBC) Delacy charged that Mao Gen Patrick Hurley, former ambassidor to China caused Gen Joseph Stilwell to be removed as chief of staff to Generaliss.mo Chiang Kai-shek Delacy said Hurley aUo was responsible for the resignation of former A a a Clarence Gauss Stilwell was recalled he said just as he was on the of success in bunging together all Chinese elements in the war against Japan "This is when Hurley first entered the act said 'Instead of backing Stihvcll he backed Chiang He saw that Stilwell was removed Delacy said Hurley was responsible for the resignation of because he Chiang a "blank check But because he (Hurley) offered Chiang aid no matter what position he took, he destroyed the long work of Ambassador Gauss Delacy added Unity and hope of democracy went glimmering Ambassador Gauss resigned Just before the plane took Gen Marshall talked with Chinese Ambassador Wei Toa Ming who came to the airport to say farewell Also at the airport were Gen Dwight Eisennower army chief of staff, and Gen Carl Spaatz, commander of strategic air forces in Europe and the Pacific Author of 'Always' Says That Popular Songs Come From Pocketbook Now, Not the Heart By PATRICIA CLARY United Press Staff Correspondent HOLLYWOOD, Dec. 15.

(UP)-The days of the romantic song are over, Frederick Bowers, who wrote the song "Always," in 1899 said today, because popular songs now come from the pocketbook and not from the heart "The songwriter used to keep his on romance and write for the heart," Bowers gaid. "Now he keeps his eye on his adding machine and writes for the feet" That explained why this generation wasn't doing its part in furnishing oldtime songs for its children to sing, he said "The next generation won't remember these commercial songs The songs of the 1890's or so will be their favorites," said Bowers, whose songs "from the heart" are still selling nearly 50 years after he wrote them Songs of 1945 sell, fast, he admitted Elderly Prefers Starvation To Charity, Discovered Near Death PORTLAND, Ore, Dec 15 (UP) --Preferring starvation in bed to charity an elderly couple la in critical condition in a Portland hospital today after police found them near death in their home. The pair, Mr and Mrs Otto Steinke, were found by neighbors after they had lam for three days without food and without heat iri their small bungalow during subfreezing weather The aged couple left no message to account for their action and were 'thoroughly uncommunicative' when questitoned at the hospital Superintendent Marian Crowe of the visiting nurse association said Hospital attendants said the couple, aged 61 and 71 years, resembled "the pictures of starved prisoners from the Buchenwald Ministers Form An Association WINNEMUCCA, Dec 15 (Special) Pastors of churches have formed a ministerial association, the puipose of which is cooperation in matters of common interest Monthly meetings will be held, it was announced Pastors present included Rev George Forman of the Pioneer Methodist church, who presided over the meeting; Father Joseph Donnellan of St Paul's Catholic church, Bishop Vern Scho- concentration camp Their condition was reported critical despite blood transfusions When police reached the modest bttle bungalow, Mr Stemke declared in feeble voice "It's too late It's no use, it too late Mrs Stemke was delirious A Evans a neighbor, said he had been taking food to the couple occasionally but not in the past three weeks He said that when neighbors went to the store for the couple the order was for 30 cents or less worth of food, never more Stemke, who had worked in the shipyards sold his car for $350 about six months ago and neighbors believed the couple not destitute A few tins of fish and soup were found in the cupboard Nippon Favors Retention of Emperor, Revising Constitution, Survey TOKYO, Dec 13 (UP) A nationwide survey by the Kyodo news service showed an 11 to 1 majority favoring retention of the emperor system and a 75 per cent major ty in a of revising the constitution, the news agency said today Kyodo repot ted that representatives of small and medium-sized trading and industrial firms as well as tenant farmers took a stand against keeping the emperor. Meanwhile, it was reported that a labor ministry will be created in the near future after the house of representatives approved a labor bill without amendment sent it to the house of peers Kyodo said that upon final passage of the bill bv the peers, the government is expected to consider creating the new ministry to handle labor administration Parliament is scheduled to be dissolved Dec 18 at the end of a four day extension of the present extraoidmary session in order to pass important measures These include revision of the election law which was passed by the house of peers last night after revising a provision for election of members in order to fill vacancies which the house overlooked The 'aw i be sent immediately to the pi ivy council and then to the emperor "They sell too fast," he said. "They sell 300,000 copies in six weeks and by that time everybody's listening to some other song "Always," he added, has sold some 3,000 000 copies and is selling more There are too many songs in circulation for any of tnen.

to become really popular, Bowers said. That's because only half a dozen song writers had to make a living back in his day, while about 2,100 composers are grinding out lyrics now "The song writing business would be a lot better off if the composers all got together and voted some of their number into a year's vacation every year," he suggested "It the only way I know to get new thoughts and new ideas into songs--and every time I hear those nonsense rhymes on the radio I'm more sure they need them," he said 'Bolhca Wol- hca'--is that from the heart'" Bowers who pronounced himself "a little ahead of Jerome Kern and Gus Edwards sold his first songs in 1895 when he was "13 or 14 He wrote Because" in 1897 and "Always" two years later Since then he said, he had written 25 musical shows "I'm still writing all the time," he said "My last two songs were "A Real Amencan" and "The Pig Got Up and Slow ly Walked Away' You can tell those are very different from the kind of thing being written nowadays." WHEN rod THINK CHIROPRACTIC THINK DR. W.L HEATH Saeeeuor te Or. Rex Aria Crlder M7 WEST FIRST STREET PHONE 865t X-RAI NEUROCALOGRAPH enfeld of the LDS church and Joseph Verner lay-reader in charge of Si Mary Episcopal church At the close of the meeting refreshments i served by Rev and Mis George Forman BUCKHORN INN LAKE TAHOE DINING ROOM NOW OPEN Serving Steaks and Chicken Sunday Only by Appointment The Famous Game BINGO Reno's Foremost Club BOBBIN'S NEVADA CLUB RENO'S CHICKEN HUT I of Kane en U. S.

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