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Show .J 1 SV. ) SALT FLAT NEWS, OCTOBER, 1971 by R. Menzies Between them. Art and Leatha Amodt constitute approximately twenty per cent of the entire population of Gold Hill, Utah, sixty-fiv- e lonely gravelled miles south and east of Wendover. Their house, a rambler of the afterthought school of architecture, was built by Leathas father, an early settler in Gold Hill. As his family and needs grew, he kept adding on rooms, until now there at least seven, including an enclosed front porch and a cozy breakfast nook where one can catch the morning sun filtered through silver maple ' leaves. ' . Inside, there is a grand piano, Tiffany and cut glassware, antique bottles, and the family silver, wicker sitting chairs, a plethora of plastic roses, and paintings by Bill West of Ibapah. In the yard. Art keeps a garden of petunias and geraniums, grass, and other strangers to the desert. A brick-pave- d walk and patio and old fashioned yard lamps add to the effect Its no surprise to learn that Leatha once worked for Columbia Pictures, Hollywood, and lived much of her life in Beverly Hills; in a curious reversal of Jed Clampett, who took the ozarks to the city, Leatha has brought culture to the country. NEWS photo by R. Maizin The best thing about this Reminiscing over old family photographs, Leatha Amodt takes the place is the television reception, said Art, indicating the console September sun at family home in Gold HUl color set in the living room. At the moment it was off, as were all the electrical appliances in the house. Since Gold Hill has no public utilities, each resident must maintain his own diesel generator. In order to turn on the television, Art hikes to the utility a small gasoline shed, via a tricky and then engine, sleight-of-han- d with a pulley belt, engages the diesel. With a smoky cough it starts, and lights, television, docks everything turns on. When the generator isnt generating Gold Hill is virtually soundless; the only car in the street rusts in peace, no children cry, no salesmen knock, and the NEWS photo by R. Manzwi nearest telephone thirty miles WAR SURPLUS RABBIT, Oscar was destined for U. S. away in Ibapah doesnt ring. The only dependable traffic is the Marines, now grows fat on handouts from Art Amodt. tug-start- s K-rati- on mailman, week. who appears twice a "Gold Hill never did amount to much, explains Leatha, "You know how mining camps are, except this one never did have a boom. There wasa train once, but it didn't last long, and then in 1938 a Japanese company salvaged the railroad . . . and shot it back at us during the war. Lately there is talk of renewed mining and of rebuilding the null, but for the time being, not much will continue to happen in Gold Hill Occasionally another hardbitten resident moves on, but the only new arrival in recent years is Osar, the rabbit It seems that Oscar, a misnamed doe, was destined to be lunch for a Green Beret detachment on survival maneuvers in the desert But even mafor those nose rines, Oscar's winsome battle-hardene- d twitch was too much, and so die was deposited, very much alive, on tire Amodts doorstep. Since then Art has fed and watered and generally adopted Gold Hills latest citizen. Free to come and go as die pleases, Oscar has made a few excursions into the local ecology. The only white rabbit in a predominately gray neighborhood, Oscar at first felt out of place, but lately has been observed making pink eyes at some of the local jacks. If this keeps up, and if the owl that deeps in the tree over Oscars watering trough can be trusted, Gold HUl may be soon to see its first new family in years. NEWS photo by R Menzm Silver maples, yard lamps add distinctive touch to Amodts desert home. old-fashion- ed SEND FOR CATALOG : ntoraifDMa. 018 2Te.stc3BS-J4t- t uummnmmmr NEW! VENOLIA CATALOG Once hopeful trading center of the west Utah desert, abandoned Gold Hill's general store once operated by Leatha Amodt overlooks deserted main street MOON EQUIPMENT COMPANY 10820 So. Norwalk Blvd. Santa Fe Springs 50, California VENOLIA PISTON COMPANY 2160 Cherry Industrial Circle Long Beach, California 90805 |