|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Thursday, August 07, 2003 Cowtown Chronicles
Hiko Pop.: 200, strung out along a long valley and including Ash Springs Industry: Ranching, mining Nearest city: Alamo (actually a town, pop. about 400), 15 miles south Distance to Las Vegas: 110 miles Talk of the town: At first the road is potholed with emptiness and ire. Two calls, and nothing but, "Well, there's a funeral on Wednesday." Third call: "Ma'am, this is a business," says the annoyed woman on the phone at R Place gas station in Ash Springs. "We don't have time to sit here and talk on the phone." "Okay, I"--I start to say, but she interrupts, "Thankyoubye." Clunk. A more random jab at the keypad finally yields the congenial Ed Maloy up in Hiko. He's come in early from the field, for a change, says it's a wonder I even caught him near a phone. Ed is an all-around ranch hand and former miner. He says he doesn't have any news or gossip because he works dawn to dusk and hardly sees anyone. Yes, the drought's been tough. No, there are no locusts. No, the recent rains didn't reach the Pahranagat Valley--no measurable precip. since June. Yes, he's heard about Las Vegas' plan to take some Lincoln County water in the future, and he doesn't like it. "Water is life in the desert, and if Vegas takes our water, we can't grow," Ed says. He knows everything about his county, and Hiko. Hiko, he says, is the oldest mining town in Southern Nevada. The post office is one of the oldest in the state. An early Nevada governor almost died of dehydration on a trek to Hiko to check out the gold and silver mines. And Lincoln County kids are smart: "The 125 students in our high school in the valley score in the top 10 percent in the nation," he says. "They do better than the kids in Las Vegas." But fresh news? Nope. He says maybe that's because people have been getting ready for the Lincoln County Fair this week. "So, everybody's on their best behavior," he says.--Heidi Walters |
|
|
Home | 2AM Club Guide | Archive | Contact | Personals
|
