The Saline Valley salt tram is located in Inyo County, California. The electric aerial tramway was constructed from 1911 to 1913 to carry salt from the Saline Valley, over the Inyo Mountains, and into the Owens Valley. Covering a distance of 13.4 miles (21.6 km), it operated sporadically from 1913 to 1935 for four different companies. The tram was built for the Saline Valley Salt Company (SVSC) by the Trenton Iron Company, but the costs of its construction and operation were ruinously expensive for the SVSC. The salt mining operation and tram were leased in 1915 to the Owens Valley Salt Company until the latter went bankrupt in 1918. In 1920, the tram was taken over by the Trenton Iron Company, which sold it to the Sierra Salt Company in 1928. The Sierra Salt Company put it back into service until the company went bankrupt in 1935. During its operation, it was the steepest tram in the United States. The tram was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saline_Valley_salt_tram

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1832:

Prospector Juan Godoy discovered a silver outcrop in Chañarcillo, sparking the Chilean silver rush. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chilean_silver_rush

1925:

The first modern performance of Claudio Monteverdi's opera Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria occurred in Paris. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Il_ritorno_d%27Ulisse_in_patria

1958:

The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, a supersonic interceptor aircraft, set a world flight airspeed record of 1,404.012 mph (2,259.538 km/h). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_F-104_Starfighter

1975:

Based on the results of a referendum held about one month earlier, the Kingdom of Sikkim (flag pictured) abolished its monarchy and was annexed to become the 22nd state of India. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sikkim

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

bright: 1. Emitting much light; visually dazzling; luminous, lucent, radiant. 2. Of light: brilliant, intense. 3. Of an object, surface, etc.: reflecting much light; having a high lustre; gleaming, shiny. 4. Of a place: not dark; well-lit. 5. Of climate or weather: not cloudy or gloomy; fair; also, of a period of time, the sky, etc.: characterized by much sunshine and good weather. 6. (figuratively) 7. Of a colour: not muted or pale; bold, brilliant, vivid. 8. Of an object, surface, etc.: having vivid colour(s); colourful. 9. Of a musical instrument, sound, or a voice: clearly audible; clear, resounding, and often high-pitched. 10. Of a room or other place: having acoustic qualities that tend to cause much echoing or reverberation of sound, particularly at high frequencies. 11. Of a scent or taste: not bland or mild; bold, sharp, strong. 12. Of a substance: clear, transparent; also, pure, unadulterated; (specifically) of wine: free of suspended particles; not cloudy; fine. 13. Glorious; illustrious. 14. In good spirits; happy, optimistic. 15. Of the face or eyes, or a smile: showing happiness or hopefulness; cheerful, lively. 16. Of a person: lively, vivacious. 17. Of a period of history or time: happy, prosperous, successful. 18. Of an opportunity or outlook: having a reasonable chance of success; favourable, good. 19. Of conversation, writing, etc.: imaginative or sparkling with wit; clever, witty. 20. Having a clear, quick intellect; intelligent. 21. (archaic) 22. Of the eyes: able to see clearly; of eyesight: keen, sharp. 23. Manifest to the mind as light is to the eyes; clear, evident, plain. 24. (music) Of a rhythm or tempo: lively, upbeat. 25. (metallurgy) Of a metal object or surface: lacking any protective coating or surface treatment for the prevention of corrosion. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/bright

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

What counts is what you do with your money, not where it came from.   --Merton Miller https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Merton_Miller