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Well howdy again
friends,
As Gomer Pyle use to
say, "surprise, surprise, surprise". What's the surprise? I'm writing
this within 1 month of the last one. Remember it was 2 years between #2
& #3.
Let's start off with
telling you about our 1st Annual Labor Day Weekend Bluegrass and
Bar-B-Q. 4 days of fun in the sun. Henceforth, it will be know as
''LIVESTOCK LABOR DAY WEEKEND MUSIC AND FOOD FEST'' hosted by GOLD POINT
GHOST TOWN.
Pardner Walt & I
considered it a rousing success for the 1st one. Every one of the
approximately 200 visitors throughout the weekend had a great time,
great entertainment and great food. All are looking forward to the next
party here in Gold Point next Memorial Day Weekend.
We had another
shootout club from Pahrump join us in making it a fun weekend. They
were the Desert Drifters Gunfighters of Pahrump. In addition to the
gunfights during the day one of the women of the group, Maria, aka
Seniorita Lola Montez, brought up her music equipment and "cantalopees"
and sang for us all night till after 3 in the morning, both Saturday and
Sunday nights. We also had up Tom Horn, Billy the Kid, the Arizona Kid
and Sarge from the group. The rest of them couldn't make this trip but
will be coming up in the future. Her set up is what you would call
karaoke and she sings what you would consider contemporary. Her range
is wide from western to pop. Her voice is wonderful to listen to. She
works as a cocktail waitress in a large Vegas casino/resort. I think
she should be entertaining guests instead of serving them.
The evening band was
the "Kingston Canyon Band" from Austin, Nevada. They were Dawn, Tom and
Bob. Bob is the saxophone blower in the group. Dawn has a really nice
Janice Joplin voice and plays bass guitar. Tom rounds out the group
with a great acoustic and electric guitar sound. They said they never
had so much fun playing anywhere before and would love to play Gold
Point for all the parties from now on. They played classic country
rock.
Goldrush consisted
of Corey and Joni. They were the Country Music Duet entertainment in
the day time. They have lots of experience in the field and have worked
with a lot of well known country singers in the past. They are from Las
Vegas. They were fun to dance along with and I found them very soothing
to the ears when they did the old ballads we grew up with. We've
invited them back for next years activities.
And now we come to
the remarkable Bluegrass band called Blue Diamond Highway from Blue
Diamond, Nevada, southwest of Las Vegas. It's a family band with just
shy of 3 years experience and was quite a joy to watch and listen to.
There are 5 in the family. Mike on guitar and wife Lisa on bass
fiddle. Then the little ones. Eve, 14, on fiddle, JB,10, on mandolin
and guitar and my favorite Sarah, 9, on fiddle. JB and Sarah were the
main singers and the rest backup. They did traditional bluegrass plus
some gospel and patriotic songs. My favorite was when Sarah sang
Tennessee Waltz. It was also quite something to watch JB pick those
strings. He has a lot of talent for a 10 year old. Everyone enjoyed
them and we'll have them back for Memorial Day Weekend and other events
in the future. It will be fun to watch them add to their list of songs
and grow up in front of us over the coming years.
We started off each
day with Blue Diamond Highway and Goldrush playing during their 45
minute break and vice a versa. After dinner we started off each night
with the Kingston Canyon Band trading off with Maria all night long.
When I say all night I mean it. I think Saturday night they quit at 4
a.m. and Sunday night they quit at 3 a.m. Blue Diamond Highway and the
Kingston Canyon Band had the stage. We cleared out the blackjack table
and raised the Bud sign for Goldrush and Maria. The combination of all
the groups and types of music was awesome. From high noon till 3 a.m.
both nights. You can't do better than that anywhere.
The Bar-b-q Pat
cooked on was built from scratch the previous weekend by pardner Walt.
Walt used an old military engine storage container for the firebox. For
the grill he used angle iron and welded rod after rod onto that. He
spent about 3 days or so on it and deserves a big atta boy for his
efforts. It was huge. Just about 4 foot by 6 foot. After moving it
into place we built a metal awning over it to keep the sun off Pat.
Behind and around him were two smokers. With his culinary wizardry he
marinated and rubbed his meat (actually our favorite redhead, Mindy,
rubbed his meat) with spices before smoking them. The pork tri tips,
chicken and brisket were marinated for 3 days in Uncle Tom's secret
marinade before smoking. Don't know how he got the recipe but it was
very good. I had marinated the beef tri tips for a week in 2 parts soy
sauce to 1 part each of pineapple juice and orange juice. The pork ribs
were rubbed with Pappys. The smoked sausage (kielbasa) hung over the
grill and the bratwurst and rib-eye steaks were flavorful enough to be
barbied as is. Along with these delicacies, as if this wasn't enough,
we had baked beans, corn (drowning in butter), Pat's homemade macaroni
salad and Sheriff Stones famous french fries. For a mere $10, one tenth
of a hundred dollar bill, it was any and all you could eat. Special
thanks to Angelo who helped turn Pat's meat, which really made Pat feel
good. Others who helped out on the conga line who deserve a thank you
are Michelle, Carl, Theresa, Stranger (Alan), Dick, Tracy, (Iron Horse)
Rick, Nancy (Walt's sister-in-law), Cindy and anyone else we may have
forgotten.
Sunday we raffled
off a 1958 Mauser rifle. Max, who is Walt's cousin, brought the rifle
and handled all the ticket sales. Along with this, about 30 other items
were also thrown in by Walt, Connie, Red Dog Lil's mom, myself and the
Final Frontier, run by Ron and Andria, of Tonopah. Proceeds, after
expenses went to the Gold Point Volunteer Fire Dept.
Reading about it
don't do the weekend justice. I can only say you have to experience a
holiday weekend out here in Gold Point at least 1 time in your life and
you'll understand and be hooked on all the fun and frolic out here in
the middle of nowhere.
Now, onto other
notable doings in and about Gold Point.
The week before this
large party Goldfield had it's Centennial Celebration. Our shoot-out
group, the High Desert Drifters, and friends entered a float in the
parade. Dan and Diane had a big flat bed low trailer we used. Upon it
we put a small old piano, made up a bar with an old door and two big
barrels, added a stove and put up a clothes line. At the back we set an
old claw foot bath tub. There were other little knick knack antiques
all over the rest of the float. We had a piano player, John from Gold
Point, Courtney was in the tub which was filled with water, a bar tender
and others were also there. A bunch more of us walked along side
passing out wooden nickels and shooting our guns. Long story made
short--we took first place in the float division. Congrats to all who
helped and were involved.
We thank everyone
for sending in donations to the fire department. We were able to send
in a pump and engine for a good going over. We pick it up next week.
It will go on the old deuce and a half military. Some checks were
deposited without writing down the address of the donator. Consequently
we could not send them a button. If you are one of those people, send
us your address and we'll get the button in the mail for you. Again,
many thanks to all who helped out.
Earlier this year a
young man named Mario, born in Germany but has lived in New York City
for the last 6 years, spent a week with us gathering information for a
story for the German Magazine Geo. It's the equivalent to our National
Geographic. The story only came out in Germany at the end of July. It
was about 8 pages long and had lots of pictures by Berthold Steinhilber
of Germany. Someday I hope to get a copy and have it translated. If
you read German you can order a copy from the internet from Geo
Magazine.
Next week a lady
named Pia, who read the article, is coming out for two days with her
camera crew. She is from Austria and wants to talk to everyone in town
for a TV program for Austrian-German Television. I'm looking forward to
having Sheriff Stone's face broadcasted overseas. The legend is
growing. lol. In the next newsletter I'll have more information for
you.
One of our
good friends of Gold Point is Phil Kemper. He joined his friend Fred
from Beatty behind the bar Saturday during Livestock. I mention him
because he comes up occasionally with his old time Matthew Brady type
camera and takes pictures. If you get a chance you should check out his
website. His talent is fantastic in picture talking. His website is
www.deathvalleyphoto.com
Another unique
visitor was Ray Dunakin. He brought up his 6 foot rockets. He has a
camera attached to it. From the time it takes off it's taking photos.
If you're interested in looking at the ones he took from the blast off
in Gold Point at the old mill, you can check out his website at
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=3009006&a=30312830&f=0.
I'm working at the new Mandalay Convention Center in Las Vegas hanging wallpaper. Not that I'm working there is any news but the size of the building is. The townsite of Gold Point, all 450 lots total about 1.5 million square feet. The convention building is 1.8 million. That's right folks!! The entire town of Gold Point would fit in the building and still have room for the Cottontail Ranch and all the girls. Amazing, isn't it? By the way. They are advertising that new girls have arrived. I haven't seen any yet but I've been told they're pretty good lookin. Guess I'll have to go down and poke around a little someday and check things out. LOL.
The latest addition
to the saloon is an old barber chair. We use it to give the brave ones
out there their "shots". It was a real hit during Livestock.
With Livestock and
working in Vegas, we haven't been able to do much to the Radkie House
lately. We hope to wallpaper some rooms in it this weekend. The other
project delaying work on the cabin has been the burying of a new septic
tank here at Sheriff Stones place. The old one filled up and wouldn't
drain anymore. We dug a little and exposed one end of it and found it
was falling apart and collapsing. So last weekend and this weekend has
taken up some time. Dan and his diggin machine has been helping put in
a new one with leach lines. We finished it today. I can only hope
nothing "new" pops up till the Radkie House is finished. Then I can go
back to putting on new shingles on two of the miners cabins used in the
B & B.
We've added to the
website again. We've added a Gold Point Gleamings page where you can
look up the previous newsletters and we've added about 25 old photos of
Gold Point dating clear back to the turn of the century when it was
Hornsilver.
This is about all I
can think of right now to tell you. If I remember something later I'll
add it to the next newsletter in October.
Till then take care.
Happy Trails and
Sunsets,
Sheriff Stone
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