The Comstock

Winter (1977) settled in and I was still driving to Reno each day and working on various small jobs; usually with Carl as my partner. I would often see him early in the morning as he and Leroy would be getting on the freeway at Hallelujah Junction, on their way into town from Loyalton.

Every once in awhile we would be sent over to the MGM to spend a few days hanging drywall in the tower. And it was in the tower that I first saw the prefabricated exterior panels being used to clad the structure. These were made from structural steel studs (16 gauge and heavier) and covered with lath and plaster on their exterior side. Pierce Lath and Plaster was the contractor and I knew of them from my days in Los Angeles. They had also been a major player in the drywall industry.

Pierce was using portable hoists to haul the panels up the side of the building and then prying and clamping the panels into place and welding them to the edge via structural angles. The hoists, which were very heavy, would be rolled into position on the floor above the location for the panel and then counterweights were added to keep the hoist on the floor. A stabilizer bar was also used to pin the hoist in place while lifting the heavy panels. It was fascinating to watch the ‘dinosaurs’ at work. That was the slang name for the hoists and they did resemble some ancient beasts.

And on another note… one day, as was standing by the man hoist on the ground, I was spotted by Rick Thompson. He had just started to work that day. We talked for awhile and he explained that business had been slow in Bishop and he had heard about the work at the MGM. He was also looking for someplace new to live. Bishop was getting too big! I told him all about where we lived (Janesville) and told him I would bring him a copy of the local newspaper so he could look at the real estate ads.

Rick, if you remember, was from Los Angeles originally and I knew him from there. He had also been my ex-partner’s partner in the contracting business. The same one I had just left. Small world.

When spring came, most of the casinos in town, plus some new ones, had big plans for expansion. The opening of the MGM would occur soon and they all wanted a part of the tourist dollars that would flood the town with the opening of this huge casino.

Of course Solari wanted this expansion work and they set out to estimate and secure all of the work they could. The first one; the Comstock hotel and Casino.

This is the job that changed my career path. The job was being run by Donny; one of Art’s favorite foreman. That didn’t mean he was actually good at what he did, he was simply a favorite. I was sent out to the Comstock to begin dropping hanger wires in the steel deck. You would have to read the blueprints and determine where the ceilings were on the floor below the deck. Then you would mark the deck for a pattern of holes to be punched and wires dropped through them. The wires had a pigtail on them and that would be captured in the concrete when they poured the deck. So you were always working one floor above where the ceilings would be and that required some skill in reading plans. Standing on a shiny steel deck with no ‘landmarks’ around you… no walls, was a good exercise for your brain.

Donny’s crew (and I) had gathered on the deck, ready to begin and Donny asked, “Does anyone know how to read plans?” No one raised their hands. Finally, I did. Donny wasted no time at all, shoving the drawings into my arms and telling everyone to follow me. Oops! I was in charge. Something I did… and didn’t want to do.

I learned later that Donny didn’t know how to read plans at all.