Diary 72-06: June, 1896 - preliminary transcript

Tuesday June 2

Same -- 72° -- Bed 12

Wednesday June 3

Same -- 68° -- The papers are full of the Dunham murder near San Jose Cal last Friday -- Dunham murdered a whole family of 6 persons and escaped -- Many parties out after him & the $10,000 reward offered for him -- Tragedy not far from San Jose and the New Almaden road, and murderer supposed to have got over across the valley into the Arroyo Hondo county, about Mt Hamilton -- to the south of and not many miles from where I mined and prospected for copper -- Great place to hide in, and not easy to follow and catch him.

1896 -- Harry Brown and Poker -- Keyes -- 51 Marie Hentschel's Funeral -- Comstock Payrolls Alf Doten Jr -- Bill Zirn Killed!

Thursday June 4

Same -- 66° -- yesterday's San F Examiner, under the head of "Played Too Much Poker" says: [clipping here] PM I attended the funeral services of Marie Hentschel, a young girl, south end of town, who has been lying helpless with paralysis for several weeks at the home of her mother and sister -- Letter from Keyes -- Comstock payrolls for May, $62, 347,91.

Friday June 5

Same -- Letter from Alf Doten Jr -- Bed 12 -- Cool and almost frosty --

Saturday June 6

Same -- Bill Zirn, the discoverer of the famous Zirn mine, at Pine-Nut, was killed this PM in his mine by a big rock caving upon him -- I telegraphed it to the Journal this evening -- For particulars see next page --

1896 -- Heney's Mortgages -- Wife & Bessie -- 53 Frank Mayo Dead -- Disappointed Wheelmen

Sunday June 7

Same -- warmer -- 82° -- I answered Alf's letter -- An excursion party of forty or fifty wheelmen were expected from Reno, and 26 came down from Va to help receive and entertain them -- but only 3 came -- Some sort of a disagreement among them --

Monday June 8

Clear & a little cooler -- 78° -- letter from wife & Bessie --

54 -- Dem Convention Reno -- From & to J P Jones Cubic foot of Marble -- 165 pounds I weigh 184 -- Jim Townsend -- Doc Benton's Leg Broken Congress Adjourns

Tuesday June 9

Same -- Letter to wife --

Wednesday June 10

Same -- Democratic Mass Convention at Reno -- Ryan -- Dennis faction got away with it --

Thursday June 11

Same -- warmer -- 81° -- Letter from J P Jones, & sent him one in return --

Congress adjourned at 4 PM today -- Saw a dressed cubic foot of Walker river marble weighed today by Lindsay, the stone cutter of Carson -- weighed just 165 pounds --

Friday June 12

Same -- 84° -- I was weighed today -- 184 pounds --

Saturday June 13

Same --

Sunday June 14

Same -- Breezy & dusty, but 84° -- letter from wife -- At evening train I met Jim Townsend just from Bodie, bound for San F -- Very rheumatic, but jolly as usual -- Says he was born Aug 4, 1823 -- This [clipping here on Dr Benton]

1896 -- Warm Weather -- Bart Burke Leaves Virginia 55 -- I.O.O.F. Grand Lodge -- A Native of Columbia, Cal Nevada Earthquakes

Monday June 15

Clear & sultry -- 86° -- Hottest of season -- At evening train met Bart Burke bound for California, leaving Virginia for good -- Been there as long as I have, and now dont want to stay any longer and die with it -- The I.O.O.F. Grand Lodge commenced at Reno today -- Rep National Convention St Louis tomorrow --

Tuesday June 16

Same -- Earthquakes here and at Va, about 4 AM felt quite strongly -- but no harm done -- This evening at the Arlington I met S A Knapp of Knapp & Laws, merchandizers at Hawthorn, on a visit -- Born in Columbia, Triolumne Co, Cal. The Reno Gazette gives this about today's earthquake -- And here is what the Chronicle Va said -- copied into the Reno Journal: [clipping here]

56 -- Bunker Hill Day -- New Hat -- 121 Anniversary McKinley Nominated for President!!! Carson Bank Changes

Wednesday June 17

Same -- 84° -- Bunker Hill Day, bought me a new hat -- IOOF Grand Lodge closed at Reno today -- Evening ball of Curry Engine Co at Opera House well attended -- 121 st anniversary of Bunker Hill --

Thursday June 18

Same, Republican National Convention at St Louis closed today -- Nominated William McKinley of Ohio for President and [blank] for Vice President -- Another sharp jolt of earthquake at Va at 1 PM -- No harm --

Friday June 19

Same -- Wife reelected [assistant principal at Reno High School] last evening --

Saturday June 20

Same -- 84° -- The Silver party State Central Committee today in Reno

appointed or elected 15 delegates to represent the Silver party of Nevada in the National Bimetallic Convention at St Louis July 22 -- Date of holding State Convention Sept 8 at Elko -- Primaries for delegates to it -- Aug 22 -- This clipping from the San F Chronicle, June 20, gives me my first knowledge of the death of my old time mining and ranching friend [Henry W Coe] -- First on the Rich Gulch of the Mokelumne in 1853, as a miner, and subsequently as a hop and fruit rancher near San Jose in 1860 -- Good bye Coe --

1896 -- A Railroad Team Wreck -- Big Thunder Shower -- 59 Cycling Excursion to the Comstock -- Corbett-Sharkey Fred Hart in Carson -- Launch of the Tahoe

Sunday June 21

Clear & warm -- 86° -- About 5 PM a 12 horse team with 2 wagons, loaded with grain in sacks was run into at RR crossing on the main street side track south of the depot by switching train -- one wagon badly smashed & load demoralized -- nobody and no horse hurt -- About 40 cyclers, boys & girls wheeled to Va, returning by 10 PM -- Some loving couples being 2 hours on the road --

Monday June 22

Clear & warm -- 82° --

Tuesday June 23

Same -- Evening big clouds brought heavy thunder shower for about an hour -- laid dust finely --