Diary 76-03: March, 1900 - preliminary transcript

man about 27 or 8 yrs old -- small and not very prepossessing, but a very able and finished speaker -- causes of the South African war, the Boer country and and the Boers and the fighting English -- crowded house -- very entertaining discourse -- siding with the Boers, therefore well received & applauded -- Bed 1 --

Geo E Roberts, Director of the Mint -- Lamblike March Ladysmith Relieved -- Van Duzer -- Clerk of State Prison C & C RR Sold -- Jim Yerington -- Good rain & Snowstorm Snow -- J R Ryan

Thursday March 1

A little cloudy but warm, pleasant and springlike -- PM I wrote 2 page letter to Geo E Roberts, Director of the Mint, Washington D.C. desiring a chance to bring my old report of the Comstock production by calender years, that I did in 1887 for Kimball, and in 1892 for Leech up to date -- for his present annal report on the Gold and Silver production of the United States. About town some -- at Arlington, etc -- Bed 1 -- March comes in like a lamb, will it go out like a lion? --

Friday March 2

Cloudy -- moderate -- evening sent letter to Van Duzer -- Bed 12 --

Saturday March 3

Stormy -- Commenced snowing in the Sierra by 7 AM & kept at it all day -- got down town about 10 o'clock in the shape of rain, then snow rest of day -- at brief intervals -- The evening train passengers from Va said 7 inches

had fallen & was good sleighing -- Sent letter to Jos R Ryan, Supt Con Va for a little piece of compressed wood -- Bed 11 -- snowing -- an inch or so on ground -- cold --

Wintry Snowy Weather -- Storming Good In California 1900 -- Jack Neal a Boer -- Van Duzer -- Wife J R Ryan With Compressed Wood

Sunday March 4

AM with snow of last night piled up, about 6 inches -- Snowing steadily in the mountains all day, although about 1 PM the sun got out for two or three hours -- Evening clouded up again, with occasional light snow falls -- Sent 2 page letter to wife -- Bed 12 -- cold and snowing lightly -- The California papers say grand rain storm throughout the State & down to Los Angeles & good for continuance -- Very much needed, owing to long continued draught --

Monday March 5

Variable -- few light snow sprinkles -- Sent 2 page letter to Van Duzer -- Bed 12 -- still cloudy -- Letter from wife this PM mail --

Tuesday March 6

Same -- Evening train from Va brought me letter from Jos R Ryan, Supt Con Va accompanied by piece of condensed or compressed wood, from the 1650 level of the Con Va mine -- Been there 20 years or more when extracted -- About 6 x 2 x 1 inches, close grained & good for the purpose -- composite

gavel for use at the National Republican Convention at Philadelphia in June -- Joe Ryan is chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee in this State -- Bed 12 -- clear -- Commenced letter to Cornelia this evening --

Depths of Snow on the Sierra -- John W McKinney Jim Townsend -- Van Duzer -- Indian Pete Tried J R Ryan -- B F Smith -- Big Wind Storm

Wednesday March 7

AM Variable & breezy, but pleasant -- PM very heavy & blustering winds from SW -- four or five feet of snow reported fell on summit of the Sierra -- 2 ft at Truckee and 2 ft on summit between here and Lake Tahoe -- about a foot at Glenbrook -- About all melted off the streets and houses of Carson -- At morning train I met old John W McKinney of Lake Tahoe just returned from Auburn and Grass Valley, Cal where he has been since last October, wintering -- Said he'd done better to staid at the Lake -- Too hot over there, and hadn't seen a well day since going there. Will stop at the Ormsby house a day or two and then go home to Lake Tahoe -- Got letter from Jim Townsend, Oakland, today, also brief note from Van Duzer -- [The trial of] Indian Pete the murderer of Dangberg, at Gardnerville, took place last week at Genoa, and he was found guilty of murder in the first degree -- Evening train sent letter to Jos R Ryan acknowledging receipt of compressed wood -- & a letter to B F Smith, Stewart, Canton Co Ohio who wants the wood to make a gavel, telling him I will send it in 3 or 4 days -- Evening wind blew furiously

from Southward -- hard as I ever saw it in Carson -- Blew in a window of south side of US Dist court rooms, Judge Hawley's -- I wrote on Cornelia's letter till 9 -- Bed at 12 -- Still blowing furiously -- Snowed in the Sierra all day --

Effects of the Big Wind -- Cornelia 4 pages -- 1900 Gavel Wood -- Cornelia -- Sam Longabaugh $2 Van Duzer -- Wife -- Visit Dempsey's Family

Thursday March 8

Variable, pleasant -- The big wind of last night blew down chimneys on the county building, Arliongton House & elsewhere and did considerable damage -- one of the worst ever in Carson -- blew at rate of 65 and 70 miles per hour according to the US Weather Observer Smith and State W observer Friends -- Died out before daylight -- only one light rain shower about 4 o'clock this morning resulted from it -- Snowed in the mountains all day -- Evening finished and copied my 4 page letter to Sister Cornelia -- Procured compressed wood from Ex Gov Colcord of the Mint and Mountain Mahogany from George A Wilcox, Co E, 31st Mass regiment, civil war -- Bed 1 -- clear --

Friday March 9

Clear, warm, & very pleasant -- Finished my five page letter to Cornelia & will send it tomorrow -- Sam Longabaugh paid me $2 --

Saturday March 10

Same -- Sent my long 5 page letter to Cornelia tonight's mail, also a page

letter to wife -- Evening went with Hobart on a visit to Dempsey's family -- Piano by Nellie and violin by Pearlie -- very pleasant visit -- Bed 1 -- Got letter from Van Duzer -- relative to how to get out the next magazine --

National Republican Gavel -- Hot Weather Hot Summer Weather -- 73° -- Magazine Printing Van Duzer -- Gould & Curry Works Burned Manzanita and Sagebrush Wood from Dr Lee

Sunday March 11

Same -- 73° -- Wrote a 2 page letter to B F Smith, Stewart, Athens Co, Ohio, inclosing piece of compressed wood from 1650 level of Con Va mine, and a piece of mountain mahogany to represent Nevada in the composition of gavel made wood of all the States & Territories for use by the presiding officer at the Republican National Convention at Philadelphia in June next --

Monday March 12

Clear & very pleasant -- Quite a hot summery day -- 73° in the shade today and yesterday -- I interviewed Dunn of the Carson News by instruction in Van Duzer's last letter relative to getting the Magazine printed here this time -- 800 copies, 60 pages reading and ads & no half tones -- gave me his figures $1.90 per page -- Wrote it to Van Duzer this evening mail -- Also sent my letter to B F Smith inclosing the gavel wood -- Postage 4 cts -- Commenced letter to Eunice -- Bed 11:30 -- The old Gould & Curry mine works on D st Va were partially destroyed by fire about noon today -- Loss about $3,000 fully covered by insurance -- Dr Lee gave me 2 beautiful specimens