Diary 70-02: February, 1894 - preliminary transcript

Bed at 12 -- intensely clear, and freezing hard --

Wintry -- Half fare pass received Cold Snap -- 1894

Wednesday Jan 31

Same -- Cold -- Rec'd half fare pass I wrote for yesterday -- Bed 12 -- Cold Wintry, lightly snowy day & evening & night very cold for this Winter, although only down to about 18 degrees above zero along C st -- Been down to 12 degrees twice before this Winter.

1894 -- Wm Miller -- Cold weather -- China New Year -Col Pat Keyes leaves for San F

Thursday February 1, 1894

Clear and pleasant, but freezing all day in the shade. Bed 12 -- clear cold night --

Saturday Feb 2

Same -- Bed 12 --

Saturday Feb 3

Same -- Bed 12 --

Sunday Feb 4

Same -- Bed 12 -- Wrote responsive letter to Sm Miller, Helena, Montana -- China New Year commenced this evening --

Monday Feb 5

Cloudy & cold -- China New Year, which commenced last evening with great popping of crackers, firing of bombs, etc, in the Chinese quarter was

followed up lively today and evening -- feasting & general enjoyment among them -- as usual -- Bed at 12 -- cold night --

Tuesday Feb 6

Cloudy & moderate -- Bed 12 -- Col Pat Keyes left for San F this evening --

Pat Rippingham's Funeral -- 1894 On Enterprise

Wednesday Feb 7

Furious winds before daylight blew up a few snow squalls during the day -- Cold & disagreeable -- Funeral of Pat Rippingham this PM was well attended, headed by the Artillery Band of 15 pieces -- About 50 men on foot -- band -- Red Men, pall bearers -- 25 carriages -- Rippingham, died of heart disease last Sunday in Grass Valley, 67 yrs old -- Been on the Comstock longer than I have -- mechanic -- musician -- Band leader, cornet player, etc -- Leaves wife here and grown up family of 3 daughters & 2 sons -- Native of Galway, Ireland -- Was about retiring for the night at 12 when Johnny McKinnon leasee and manager of the Enterprise came to my room -- said his "local", George Warren was on a drunk & wanted me to fill in -- Went on at once at office -- stood in effectively -- Bed at 3 --

1894 -- Very Wintry -- Slippery -- my 1st fall Mrs Batterman and Chris addresses, also Lawrence Miller

Thursday Feb 8

Very blustering cold and snowstorming day -- slippery -- got my first

fall of the season this PM on sidewalk, front of Lillig's hardware store -- Sat down hard but not hurt -- Got letter from Mrs Batterman, at Oakland giving me address "C. S. Batterman, 108 West Hopkins Avenue, Aspen, Pitkin County, Colorado." I wrote & sent a letter to him forthwith asking about Charles Miller, who was with him in survey of the C & C Railroad -- Wrote letter also to wife -- Bed 1 -- Very wintry -- "Wild Night," etc -- The Batterman addresses are as follows: Mrs L A S Batterman, corner of 7th & West sts, Oakland California; Mr C S Batterman, 108 West Hopkins Avenue, Pitkin County, Colorado -- Lawrence Miller, Anaconda, Montana PO Box 571 -- (He resides at Silver lake 14 miles from there.)

The Big Wintry Storm -- V & T Robbery! 1894 -- Cold Snap

Friday Feb 9

Same -- Very Wintry -- Fiercely snowly & blustering all day -- Telegraphic communication interrupted -- six or eight inches of snow fell today and more weather of same kind prevailing when I went to bed at 12 -- The clip about "The Big Meteor" is from this evening's Va Chronicle. Very cold night --

Saturday Feb 10

Clear & cold -- Coldest morning of the season -- 10 degrees above zero -- The mail & express train from here last evening was robbed just after leaving Carson by one man -- He got into the express car, forcibly took possession of pay-

master Mills' tin box with a couple of thousand dollars in it -- skipped off, and not seen since -- This is the first V & T RR robbery and creates quite a sensation -- Bed 12 -- 16 degrees above z -- Snow a foot or two deep all about town -- sleighing 1st rate -- Decidedly Wintry --

1894 -- Wintry -- Old Man Harris Dead Mrs Nancy (Adams) Dwight dead

Sunday Feb 11

Same -- The storm still continues -- PM attended meeting of the Exempts -- regular monthly -- Bed 12 --

Monday Feb 12

Variable -- a light snowstorm or so -- Bed at 12 -- Not quite as cold, and looks like our boss storm of the Winter is over. Old man Harvey Harris, 80 yrs old, died at his residence in Gold Hill, about noon today from old age, rhumatism, etc. Leaves wife, four sons & one daughter -- Father of Ed Harris and Mrs Dr Kirby -- He was at our wedding on Lake Tahoe -- Vale --

Tuesday Feb 13

Clear & pleasant -- but cold -- Bed 12 --

Wednesday Feb 14

Same -- Bed 12 --

Heavy Snowstorm -- Cold Snap -- 1894 Col J D Stevenson dead, also Annie Pixley -Big snowstorm -- The Parting Hour" "Wild Night"

Thursday Feb 15

Stormy -- Over a foot of snow fell in the PM & evening -- Bed 12 still snowing --

Friday Feb 16

Clear & pleasant, but cold -- Cleared off before daylight -- 16º above z -- Bed 12 -- sharp cold night -- Col Jonathan D Stevenson, the old military pioneer of the Pacific Coast died in San Francisco day before yesterday -- Wednesday -- aged 94 years -- Annie Pixley, the actress, died in London about a month ago --

Saturday Feb 17

Stormy -- Very blustery and snowy latter part of the day -- AM I copied off a poem "The Parting Hour" by Edward A Pollard, the California poet, for W G Thompson -- five 8 line verses -- About town in PM & evening as usual -- Bed at 1 -- Furious snowy and windy storm -- Very "wild night" --

Sunday Feb 18

More moderate but not clear yet -- Bed 12 -- Strong indications of more big winter weather

1894 -- The Big Snowstorm and Fierce!!! Railroad Blockaded -- No Mail -- Hard Times

Monday Feb 19

Heavy snowstorm most all day -- Over a foot of new snow fell -- nearly or quite three feet of snow all over the country -- C st pretty well snowbanked -- Good sleighing through to Dayton -- Hard times and everybody poor. Tom Heffron