Diary 75-01: January, 1899 - preliminary transcript

The First Real Storm of the Winter -- Snow 7 inches -Sister Lizzie -- Big Rains in California and Big Snow in the Sierra, -- Also on the V & T RR and the Comstock -- Sleighing -- Mrs Botkin's H N Year

Reno, Nevada, Sunday January 1, 1899

AM variable and breezy -- PM a steady snow storm started in from the southward and five or six inches covered the ground by dark -- The first real winter storm -- PM and evening I finished and copied in good shape my four page letter, closely written, to Miss Lizzie Doten, Waverley House, Charlestown Massachusetts. Waded through the snow down to the RR depot at 8 oclock, and at 10 mailed the letter on delayed east bound train -- Bed at 12 -- snowing very lightly -- Thermometer 33[degrees], and snow about 7 inches deep --

Monday Jan 2

Variable, thawy, light snowstorms -- What snow fell during last night was damp, and settled, so that there was still about 7 inches on the ground this morning -- quite a lot of sleighing done today about town -- pretty fair sleighing -- Big news in California, northern especially, and big snow on the Sierra -- But the train from the west was on time at 8:40 this evening -- SF papers give full accounts, telegraphic, of the occupation of Cuba by Uncle Sam, Jan 1, at Havana, etc -- Got in all right and easy -- also of Mrs Botkins happy new year -- Big drifts on the V & T RR in Washoe Valley - Evening train half an hour late came in double header, with big

Cornelia -- Spiro Vucovich Dead -- Pilgrim Plymouth -- No 17 -- Sleighing -- The Big Snow -- Public Schools Resume -- Bill sent to Wells Herald -- $85 Carson Appeal Absorbs the Weekly --

snow plow loaded 10 ft high with snow -- I received letter from Cornelia -- 3 pages -- date Dec 28 -- Home all day -- evening down town -- Bed 11 -- still a little snow, stormy and threatening -- Spiro Vucovich died at Va Saturday aged 70 -- after 8 years breaking down -- One of my best old friends -- and one of oldest Comstockers --

Tuesday Jan 3

Variable -- pleasant -- Rec'd from Cornelia a fine album pamphlet: "Pilgrim Plymouth," consisting of the finest assortment of large & small photos of Plymouth scenes and incidents, very interesting indeed to me. PM & evening I wrote No 17, 4 pages and sent it to Wells Herald on east bound train at 8:45 -- Bed at 11 -- Clear and freezing. Sleighing still fair --

Wednesday Jan 4

Cloudy -- moderate -- Public schools, Reno, resumed today -- Sleighing good yet -- Snow [7?] or 7 ft deep at Truckee & on Summit -- 1 1/2 ft at Va -- Trains all on time today -- The V & T local made no trip yesterday but all right today -- PM made out my bill to Wells Herald, 17 letters at $5 per letter -- $85 -- Rec'd $5 -- leaving $80 balance due -- sent it tonight -- Bed 11, clear & moderate -- The Carson Appeal has absorbed the Carson Weekly -- Zero night --

Zero -- From SF Chronicle -- J P Jones -Mrs Harley Married Again -- Dr J H Rae -To SF Chronicle -- Reno Sleighing Played Out --

Thursday Jan 5

Cloudy & cold -- Zero in early morning -- Recd letter from SF Chronicle asking me if I would go to Carson & report legislature & to wire reply -- Did so at once: "Will fill legislative proposition satisfactorily. Will write tonight" Evening I wrote to Chronicle on the reporting proposition, & also gave something to print on the Senatorial et al proposition -- as its letter said: "We have been publishing your comments on the Senatorial situation, and would like to know whether you could make it convenient, when the game gets warm, to go to Carson and report the Legislature for us. We would not care for extended accounts, but simply enough to give us the drift each day -- say 300 or 400 words -- while the business is hot -- Wire an answer." Also wrote to JP Jones, Palace Hotel SF for $100 -- guess I won't get it -- Sent both letters by west bound train at 10:30 -- Bed 11 -- Mrs Alice M Hartley was married in SF today to WS Bonnifield, Lawyer, of Winnemucca -- (See the two front pages of this book) [clippings] -- Met Dr J H Rae from Dayton this evening, bound for S.F. -- Reno sleighing about played out --

Senator Stewart -- Col Chinn -- Cornelia -- 1899 -Eunice -- Haircut -- Stewart's Paper -- Comstock Pipes Arriving -Yellow Jacket Dividend -- No 17 in Herald -- I on SF Chronicle Cut Toenails -- Dan Stuart Sick

Friday Jan 6

Cloudy & thawy -- Senator Stewart came on morning train from San F with Col Jack Chinn, an old political lobby warrior from Kentucky, Black Wallace, Billy Sharon, George Nixon, et at -- Stewart & Chinn & Sharon went on up to Carson -- Evening I wrote 2 page letter to Cornelia & put it on west bound train at 9:30 -- then wrote letter in the Palace Hotel to Eunice 2 page inclosing Cornelia's last letter & put it on the west bound train at 12 -- Bed 11:30 -- I trimmed my hair today -- Reno sleighing about played out --

Saturday Jan 7

Variable & thawy -- some light snowstorms -- Wells Herald came with No 17 in it all right -- Another carload of pipe for the Comstock deep drainage arrived last night from the east, and passed up to Va today -- This mornings SF Chronicle arrived this evening with my Thursday evening letter made into a special telegram from Reno -- 1/3 of a column 375 yards -- trimmed toe nails & to bed at 12 --

McMillan vs Sadler -- SF Chronicle -- "Black Cat" -SF Chronicle -- Geo R Vardy -- $10 -- Tim Dempsey -Geo R Vardy -- I quit on Wells Herald -Sharkey Knocks out Kid McCoy --

Sunday Jan 8

Same -- The requisite papers were filed yesterday in the Supreme Court at Carson for the McMillan vs Sadler gubernatorial contest. Hon Trenmor

Coffin of Carson and Judge Cheney of Reno Att'ys for McMillan, and Hon Thos Wren of Reno and Hon William Woodburn of Carson Attorneys for Sadler -- Recd January number of "Black Cat" -- also brief note of instructions from SF Chronicle -- Bed 11 -- clear & freezing --

Monday Jan 9

Variable -- thawy -- PM wrote letter & telegram to SF Chronicle & sent on night train -- Bed 12 -- thawy and snowing or raining lightly --

Tuesday Jan 10

Cloudy & thawy, occasional showers of snow and rain -- sloppy -- Received letter from George R Vardy of the Wells Herald inclosing $10 and objecting to my bill rendered last Wednesday, Jan 4 -- Sent note to Tim Dempsey, Carson, to secure me a room in my old lodging house over his saloon -- Evening I wrote a long 3 page letter to Geo R Vardy -- Shaved and to bed at 2 -- Sent no regular letter to Wells Herald tonight for publishment -- I quit from poverty of sustenance -- Tom Sharkey knocked out Kid McCoy in 10th round in N.Y. this evening --

Heavy Snows -- Trains Delayed -- 1899-- Comstock Dumping Postponed till Feb 1 -- McMillan Young Woodliff Pardoned Out -- Major Dennis Slips & Hurt --

Wednesday Jan 11

Same -- PM & evening light snowstorms -- here, giving an inch of snow -- heavy in the Sierra -- delaying the trains -- 10 ft reported at Summit, and