Diary 70-09: September, 1894 - preliminary transcript

1894 -- A Nicholls -- Cornelia Frank Francis of Austin Our newly appointed Postmistress

Saturday September 1, 1894

Clear, cool and breezy -- PM I wrote and sent a six page letter to Andrew Nicholls, Los Angeles about Centennial -- Eve Evans, Bed 12 --

Sunday Sept 2

Same -- Bed 12 -- Finished & sent 8 page letter to Cornelia

Monday Sept 3

Clear & pleasant -- Met Frank Francis and Reid from Kennedy Mining Dist and Lovelock when morning train arrived -- They are delegates to the Silver party convention at Carson tomorrow -- Francis is editor & proprietor of the New Era, published at the new mining Dist of Kennedy, Humboldt County, and Reid, is a grocer at Lovelock -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 12 -- Frank Francis was a boy compositor on the Austin Reveille when I was there -- Mrs Dr Webber took charge of the Va Post office on Saturday, the 1st, as newly appointed Postmistress -- widow of Dr W --

Frank B Doten Dead -- Cooler -- 1894 Silver Party State Convention

Tuesday Sept 4

Same -- 10 AM rec'd following telegram from Carson: Alfred Doten -- Your brother died here last night. See Coroner Ellis here -- S H Day. Evening I wrote up same for both Enterprise and Chronicle. Was with

Evans awhile-- Bed 4 -- Frank was my 6th or 7th cousin, not my brother, as many people believed. Frank was born Feb16, 1828.

Wednesday Sept 5

Same -- 74° -- somewhat cooler weather -- State convention of the Silver Party progressing at Carson, yesterday and today -- nominations completed -- Bed 12

1894 -- Cool Weather -- cold! -- My Big Accident 39 yrs ago -- Admission Day!

Thursday Sept 6

Clear and decidedly cool -- 55° -- stoves and overcoats looked after -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 12 --

Friday Sept 7

Same [A?] and reported to be a frost last night -- 39 years ago since I was killed at Fort John -- on Friday -- Evening visited Evans -- Bed 12

Saturday Sept 8

Same -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 12 --

Sunday Sept 9

Same -- a little warmer -- 70° -- PM attended regular monthly meeting of the Exempts -- This morning at 7 I went down to Pythian Hall and raised our old Pioneer flag in honor of "Admission Day" anniversary of admission of California into the Union -- Evening at sunset S D Baker, Secy of the

Society helped me take it down -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 12 --

Visit to Gold Hill -- Gone in! H M Gorham -- 1894

Monday Sept 10

Clear and warmer -- 76° -- Bed 12 --

Tuesday Sept 11

Same -- Sent letter to Harry Gorham this evening, to Gold Hill, about his not signing Centennial certificates -- This morning rose at 6:30 and at 7:45 took local train to Gold Hill -- At assay office I collected $55 for Enterprise, bill advertising Centennial notice of asst No 47 -- $15, delinquent sale $40 -- total $55 -- rode back at 10 on Dayton stage -- RR 15 cts -- stage 25 cts -- total 40 cts -- got $1 for my pay clearing 60 cts -- The old Winter banes building -- 2 stories -- one of the largest wooden buildings in G Hill being torn down for firewood, etc -- GH worse gone in than ever -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 11 --

1894 -- Cold Wintry weather 1st snow -- Charley on Frank Harris Memorial

Wednesday Sept 12

Cloudy cold & blustering -- PM a light snow storm or two -- quite Wintry -- Wrote & sent a four page letter to Brother Charley, Plymouth about Frank Doten's death -- Engrossed in good style the Exempt Memorial Tribute on death of H J Harris, one of our members -- Same was passed April 5 with I

as chairman of committee drafting it but Secy failed or neglected to send copy to widow & family, so I do it -- He got up a copy, but I didn't like it -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 1 -- clear & freezing -- This is evidently the September "blurry" of advance Winter --

Thursday Sept 13

Clear and cold -- Ice found everywhere this morning -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 12 -- Delivered Memorial Tribute to Mrs Harris this PM.

Another letter to Charley -- 1894 Frank's relationship -- Sprained Thumb

Friday Sept 14

Same -- warmer -- Very pleasant -- Wrote & sent another letter to Charley asking about Frank's geneology and relationship to me and us -- Evening with Evans -- Bed 12 -- Trial of Mrs Harley, for killing M I Foley on trial in Reno this week -- She makes a mighty good showing of self-defense, & may go clear -- Good cold nights for sleeping. Passing down from C to D sts -- down the short steep street north of Odd Fellows building, had nearly reached D st when I stepped on a rolling gravel and fell backward, sitting down hard. Sprained left thumb badly, otherwise not hurt. ((clipping here)) The above telegram published in this

My Phosphorus Incendiary Idea

mornings Enterprise reminds me that I conceived the same phosphorus in-

cendiary idea, over 30 years ago, when farming near Milpitas, Santa Clara County, Cal -- I used phosphorus to poison ground squirrels -- get it in pound cans -- 20 sticks in a can -- tin cans looked like candy -- was in water -- One day I accidentally left a stick out of the water, lying on table while I got wheat ready for it -- as soon as it got dry it spontaneously combusted -- I had to get the table outside and shovel dirt on it to extinguish -- After that I experienced by wrapping wet cloth or

Phosphorus Incendiarism -- 1894

sponge around pieces of it, and found I could calculate with considerable accuracy how soon the water would evaporate and allow the phosphorus combustion -- It was a sure proposition -- Thus dry grain fields, haystacks, houses, barns, etc could be successfully fired by an incendiary who could be scores or hundreds of miles away when the fire broke out -- away beyond possibility of detection -- I thought of publishing the idea as interesting, but refrained as not being a good suggestion for incendiaries -- But it has been dropped upon at last.

1894 -- Sore hand -- Evans' bad fix Bill Thomas' Citizenship and letter to Bartine Broken Thumb

Saturday Sept 15

Clear warm & pleasant -- "Indian Summer" weather - my left thumb & hand badly swollen & very lame from last evening injury -- Thumb broken in