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Thursday, July 31, 2003 Cowtown Chronicles
Nelson Pop.: 30 (maybe 40 in the winter with snowbirds) Industry: former mining town; river tourism, ghost town tours, filming Nearest city: Boulder City (pop. 15,000), 25 miles north Distance to Las Vegas: 50 miles
I wonder if, back in 1775, the Spaniards who ecstatically named El Dorado Canyon after striking gold in there had any premonitions that someday soft-palmed, goo-coiffed kids from shining cities would saunter into the rocky environs to pose, chant and bat their eyelashes. Probably not. But transient youthful ambition--huh, not that different from gold fever--is about all the industry these days in the canyon, in which lurk Nelson and the Techatticup Mine (oldest gold mine in Southern Nevada). No more bonanzas. No more of those "wanton killings," which Henry Chenoweth writes about at www.ghosttowns.com (beware the banjo), in the 1800s when prospectors were spitting up dirt with the precious metals. No services. No bar. Just a lot of retirement, at least in Nelson proper. Downcanyon a mile and a half at the Techatticup Mine Camp, where you can buy soda pop, Tony and Bobbie Werly and cousin Brent rent out kayaks and canoes and take people down into the old gold mine. They've been running river trips for 25 years and bought the camp and mining claim nine years ago. When I phone them up, they say there's no news. Except for the productions, that is. "Saturday we did a music video--a kid named Dez Hope from L.A.," says Tony. Nice kid, hip hop. "And the BBC's going to be here in the morning. They're going to shoot `a day in the mine.' Last night we had a girl here who did her [modeling] portfolio. We didn't charge her for that." Otherwise, though, the Werlys charge $50 to $200 an hour for use of the picturesque mine setting for filming. "We've done seven movies in the last seven years," he says. "And eight music videos and dozens of commercials." Before I hang up, Tony makes sure I spell Techatticup right, and says, "You know what it means?" No, I say. "`I'm hungry'" in Paiute, he says.--Heidi Walters |
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