[meteorite-list] NWA 02-12-1943 Willamette Meteorite Discovered Dies at 83

From: MARK BOSTICK <thebigcollector_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Jan 27 10:32:11 2005
Message-ID: <BAY4-F1075F34A904C799745BFA9B3780_at_phx.gbl>

Paper: Bismarck Tribune
City: Bismarck, North Dakota
Date: Friday, February 12, 1943
Page: 9 (of 12)

Willamette Meteorite Discoverer Dies at 83
By J. HUGH PRUETT
Astronomer, General Extension,
University of Oregon.

    The death of Ellis Hughes is briefly told in a recent press dispatch.
This humble wood cutter, a resident of the little community of Willamette,
Ore., during the greater part of his long life of 83 years, doubtless never
realized how far flung his fame. Surely the names of few Oregonians are so
widely recorded in geological and astronomical literature throughout the
civilized world as is that of this sturdy Welshman.
    Mr. Hughes in 1902 discovered the 16-ton Willamette meteorite, the
largest such visitor from the skies ever found in the United States or
Canada, and the fifth in size in the entire world. This find brought his a
great deal of publicity, visits from noted eastern scientists, and - an
extended law suit which left him a life-long feeling of great injustice.
     Mr. Hughes accidentally found - and recognized - this famous meteorite
as it lay partially buried on a wooded hillside belonging to the Oregon Iron
&Steel Company, and less than a mile from his own home. When he struck it
with a rock, he found it rang like a bell. Well it might, for under its
rusty surface it was a fine alloy of almost pure nickel and iron. No one
knows when it blazed across the sky and "lost itself in the continuous woods
where rolls the Oregon."
    In 1903 Mr. Hughes built a crude truck for moving the huge mass to his
own land. Three months of hard work were required for the transfer. When
finally this object was ready for display at his home, he announced "open
house," charging 25 cents for a view. Visitors came by the hundreds.
    But among the callers was an attorney for the Oregon Iron & Steel
Company who offered Mr. Hughes $50 for the metallic mass. The offer was
rejected. Soon court action was instituted by the company - during which
public sympathy was generally with the finder - and after long litigation
the supreme court of Oregon upheld the lower courts in the decision that "a
meteorite is real estate and belongs to the property on which it is found."
Mr. Hughes got nothing but a lasting memory of bitter defeat.
    In 1906, Mrs. William Dodge bought the Willamette meteorite for a price
running well into five figures and presented it to the American Museum of
Natural History, New York, where it has since remained.
    In 1938 a party of the University of Oregon visited the scene of the
discovery, interviewed Mr. Hughes - who very graciously retold his story -
took pictures of places and persons concerned, and excavated several pieces
of the original rust which still test high in nickel.
    Whatever the merits of the earlier litigation, Mr. Hughes is gone and
his memories of defeat are ended.

(end)

Clear Skies,
Mark Bostick
Wichita, Kansas
http://www.meteoritearticles.com
http://www.kansasmeteoritesociety.com
http://www.imca.cc

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PDF copy of this article, and most I post (and about 1/2 of those on my
website), is available upon e-mail request.

The NPA in the subject line, stands for Newspaper Article. The old list
server allowed us a search feature the current does not, so I guess this is
more for quick reference and shortening the subject line now.
Received on Thu 27 Jan 2005 10:31:44 AM PST