Diary 74-01: January, 1898 - preliminary transcript

Painting, Carpentering, Entomology -- Light Winter 1898 -- 15 years from Austin -- Bessie the Housekeeper Resumption of Public Schools and University Reno, Nev.

Saturday January 1, 1898

Clear, fine day -- Busy puttying painting and finishing up my newly completed partition, door, etc, to my room. Bed at 12 -- Mr Burns, a friend of Sam's, from Truckee came from there today on a visit to Sam. They affiliated and cruised around together up and down the river on entomology & looking up specimens etc. Took dinner with us & returned home to Truckee on evening train. My sore eye is all right again. Haven't been down town since Christmas evening. Fifteen years ago today since wife and family parted from me at Austin -- or Clifton -- en route to Reno for future home. Very light Winter thus far. No snow, but clear, freezing weather --

Sunday Jan 2

Same -- A day of rest -- Evening down town awhile for first time since Christmas -- Bed 11 --

Monday Jan 3

Variable -- Odd jobs -- Public schools resumed today -- wife on deck in that respect, and Bessie stands in as chief housekeeper -- University resumes tomorrow -- Numerous students arrived today from all parts of the State,

Comstock Payroll -- A Good Ice Year -- 3 Red Painting -- Mrs Grimmon's Accident

from their vacation -- Made new frame for my bed springs today -- Comstock payroll for December, $56,167.16 -- over $6,000 less than November -- Evening down town awhile -- Bed 11 --

Tuesday Jan 4

Clear and fine -- Bed 11 --

Wednesday Jan 5

Same -- Painted the top mouldings, door casing, etc in my room, red, hung door, etc, shaved and went to bed at 11 -- Mrs Grimmon, the popular landlady of the Arlington Hotel, Carson fell from a stepladder, Monday, while watering some plants in upper hallway and was thought to be seriously, if not fatally injured -- No bones broken but internally injured --

First Good Snowstorm -- Sleighing -- Slippery -- 1898 Durrant Hanged!!! -- The Twentieth Century My New Writing Table

Thursday Jan 6

Variable -- About 5 PM a blustering snowstorm set in -- At 11 when I went to bed it was clear, moonlight and sharp cold -- 5 inches of snow and I heard sleighbells on the street -- Odd jobs today --

Friday Jan 7

Clear and fine -- snow melted some -- tolerable sleighing, for Reno -- W H T Durrant, was hanged at the San Quentin state prison, California today at 10:40 A.M. for the murder of Blanche Lamont in the Emmanuel Baptist

Church belfry S.F. in April 1895, nearly two years ago -- Very cold night --

Saturday Jan 8

Variable, cold -- Busy at making a small writing stand or table for my room -- 2 ft 8 inches long, 19 inches wide, 2 ft 5 inches high -- drawer 16 x 14 x 3 inside -- Bed at 12 -- snowing quite lively --

Sunday Jan 9

cold -- occasional light snowstorms -- finished my table and painted it a brilliant red -- Some sleighing yet -- very slippery -- stay at home --

4 -- Coldest Night -- Below Zero -- Goodie Cricket Durrant Cremated -- Senator Jones at Santa Monica

Monday Jan 10

Clear, fine and cold.

Tuesday Jan 11

Variable -- Last night was coldest of the season -- 6° below zero early this morning -- reported 9° below, at Riverside Hotel --

Wednesday Jan 12

Same -- warmer -- Made me a nice little cricket or footstool -- 12 inches long x 8 wide and high -- made all of lumber used in Gold Hill for boys' crib and afterward in Austin for crib for our youngest, "Goodie" which came from there here with rest of our furniture -- Painted it brilliant red --

Thursday Jan 13

Variable -- Putting up shelving in my room.

Friday Jan 14

Clear and fine -- same work --Durrant was cremated at Pasadena, Cal today in accordance with his expressed desire -- Couldn't get it done at San Francisco, so his parents had to get it done at Pasadena.

Saturday Jan 15

Variable -- moderate -- Worked at my shelving job -- Senator Jones is at home in Santa Monica, Cal, according to telegram in SF Examiner of yesterday -- came Southern route from Washington --

Home Concert -- Below Zero -- Work Bench -- 1898 Sam, Assistant School Teacher -- Prof Bray Sick Young Dick Kirman Marries -- Mrs Garrity Dead

Sunday Jan 16

Same -- As usual -- Evening Bessie and Sam with violins, and I with flute had bit of a concert in the new kitchen -- Jason Libbey a young co-ed from the Nevada University was present, as a guest, and did most of the dancing -- jolly little time-- Bed at 11 -- snowing --

Monday Jan 17

Mostly clear & pleasant -- Only about an inch of snow fell last night -- Worked at remodeling & reconstructing my workbench in my room -- cold night --

Tuesday Jan 18

Same 1/2 a dozen degrees below zero this morning -- Bed 12 --

Wednesday Jan 19

Same -- Finished my workbench --

Thursday Jan 20

Variable --

Friday Jan 21

Same -- China New Year -- celebrated after usual style -- During the present week, wife has acted as Principal of the public school, with Sam to assist a little, Prof Bray being sick with typhoid fever -- Young Kirman is only child of my old friend Dick Kirman, one of the oldest, best, and most prominent Comstock citizens recently deceased --

6 -- Bessie Leaves for Her California School Golden Discovery Jubilee at San Francisco Senator Jones Arrives

Saturday Jan 22

Same -- Shelving -- Evening, light snowstorm -- couple of inches fell --

Sunday Jan 23

Variable, with a light dash of snow in the air occasionally -- Bessie left on morning train, about 9:30 for Santa Clara & her school which resumes next Monday -- Cold night --

Monday Jan 24

Cloudy, cold, wintry -- Thermometers about town scored from one to five degrees below zero last night and this morning -- The great jubilee in