Diary 60-5: May, 1886 - preliminary transcript

office at 1:30 -- Home -- Bed at 3 -- I paid Postmaster, Judge D O Adkinson $20 today which I borrowed of him to help get out to Austin with my family some years ago.

At Reno My Fiddle

Sunday May 2

Same -- Rose at 7 -- took train for Reno at 8 -- Had along a lot of apples and oranges, dirty clothes etc in my shawl strap -- Through on time -- Found all right -- PM took all four of my little ones out to walk -- along the river & over to Bob Lindsay's -- Millie working at Bobs -- working in kitchen, etc, at $3 per week -- Evening at home -- got out my old fiddle, tuned it up & played it for more than have at any time for 20 years -- Bed at 10 --

Monday May 3

Cloudy, but pleasant -- Rose at 6 -- Left at 7:10 -- through on time to Va arriving at 10 AM -- PM annual meeting of Centennial M Co at office of Co in Odd Fellows' building --

Centennial meeting NY Tribune Geo F King pens Russia Cement Co

72,000 shares represented -- New Board of Trustees elected -- Evan Willians -- M Kingle Alf Doten, Wm S James, H C Gorham. Willians re-elected President, J P Flanningham, Secy, and Bullion & Exchange Bank, Carson, treasurer -- Adj at Call of Prest -- Work in office as usual -- Home at 2 -- Bed at 3 --

Tuesday May 4

Same -- Rose at 11, wrote the following letters : New York Tribune 30 cts for another

copy of the Tribune Almanac for current year -- George F King & Merrill 29 Hanover st, Boston, Mass, 10 cts for sample of pens, Russia Cement Co Gloucester Mass another sample of Le Page's liquid glue -- 10 cts -- D H Bates, Pres't and Gen'l

"Electric B & O" Geo [K???] Bates Genl manager Students Songs G W McHardy

Manager B & O [???] Co, New York, two 2 ct stamps for copy of "Electric B & O" Moses King, publisher Hanover Square, Cambridge Mass, 50 cts for copy of book of Students Songs" GW McHardy, Austin Nev. in reponse to and acknowledge gift of the $2 he sent me recently, postal note -- PM & evening about as usual -- Bed 3:30 --

Wednesday May 5

Clear & pleasant -- Rose at 7 AM -- shaved etc -- went up to Friedman's pawnbroker, and bought an elegant little banjo for Bessie - 11 inch [hoop?] -- 18 inch finger board -- 10 brackets -- nickel plated rim for $5 -- Tom Johns wife & 2 children, arrived from Austin today -- They already had 4 room house engaged, already furnished

Tom John's Family Arrive Brother Sam Bessie's Banjo

so they occupied it forthwith -- Got letter from wife enclosing letter to her from Brother Sam -- I spent considerbale time tuning & fixing up that new banjo, and when I came home tonight at 2 oclock, I had to sit down and enjoy it, as well as I could & not disturb my neighbor -- Bed 4 --

Thursday May 6

Clear, blustery -- dusty -- Was about town -- met Tom Johns, Had an armfull of grub

packages taking up to his family -- I went with him -- 4 room house on Howard st bet Union st & Sutton Avenue -- Introduced to wife & 2 little boys -- Alfred and Tom -- Harry there -- went down together -- met his Dr, Manson & he made us dine with him, at Chaumonds -- Work as usual -- Bed 3 --

Rain & Snow Slattery-Rodda glove fight

Friday May 7

Very blustery disagreeable day -- air full of clouds of dust -- terrible -- Toward evening became cloudy & about 10 showers set in & continued -- at midnight heavy snowstorm -- melted fast as fell -- Noon I went out to Chollar, Norcross etc & got reports -- Terrible dose of dust -- Mining report day -- through in office at 1:30 -- Bed at 3:30 --

Saturday May 8

Clear & very pleasant - Evening at 9 I went up to Opera House -- Had to get in back way on account of big crowded* [everywhere?] -- Alf [Chartz?] was my reporting partner & we had also to get in upon the stage by rear entrance from A st -- It was a hard glove fight for $250 a side -- 6 rounds fought, & Slattery declared

Slattery-Rodda Hard Glove Fight At Reno Clothesline cold

winner as Rodda refused to come to time, for the 7th round, he claiming "foul" striking -- Bed at 4 -- Going to Reno tomorrow

Sunday May 9

Same -- cool -- Rose at 7 -- off at 8 for Reno -- arrived on time at 12 -- Folks all right -- Had quite a job fixing up the clothes line, as we will do our washing at home in preference to sending it to the new steam laundry just started to drive out the Chinese -- We have had our washing done by a chinamen heretofore -- Evening banjo & songs -- Bed at 10 -- cold night -- Fixed up wash tubs, drove hoops & put them to soak --

Ice -- "Mixed Pickles" Sam's photo 1st sprinkling street

Monday May 10

Same -- Ice thick as window glass on water in washtubs -- Afraid all the fruit is killed, as pears, etc, just out of blossom & setting -- Left at 7:10 for Va -- Through at 10 -- Gov Adams on board -- Work as usual -- Evening was at Opera House short time & saw last act of "Mixed Pickles", being played by J B Polk and dramatic Co, Exceedingly funny piece -- Fair house -- Office till 1:30 -- Home -- Bed at 3 -- Ed Swift of Gold Hill was awarded the contract for sprinkling the streets in this city & GH at a meeting of the County Commissioners held last Thursday -- He commenced yesterday, & the dust is laid pretty well. Got photo of Bro Sam yesterday in Reno that came for me in his letter I rec'd Wednesday -- Dont know him --

JG Fair Mixed Pickles Sherman Clay & Co Z A Willard

Thursday May 11

Same -- Wrote letter to Hon Jas G Fair, Washington, D.C. asking to send me a

copy or so of the Congressional Directory for 1886 -- Also sent letter to Sherman Clay & Co. musical merchandise men enclosing $1 asking them to send me a "Rothwell" nightingale plageolet and a catalogue of their concern from which I can make selections if I like -- Work as usual -- Was at theater short time & saw "Mixed Pickles" -- Very funny piece -- This second night they did not do quite as well -- Bed at 4 --

Wednesday May 12

Same -- pleasant, cool day -- Work as usual -- Wrote 7 page letter to ZA Willard, Murphy's, Calaveras County, California -- This was in response to request from him to

Red Med's Ball "Kyzer"

do so -- Mrs T R McGurn from here East met Willard on the return trip this side of Chicago -- He knew me through my sister Lizzie in Boston, is anxious to know about [concentration?] -- I copied my letter after writing it, as some of it may be handy to use sometime -- It went by this evening's mail together with a bundle of San F and NY mining papers -- Evening was short time at ball of Pocohhntas and Apache Tribes, Va & GH Red Men at Opera House -- Full and good & lively -- They had a "War Dance" on the stage with camp scenery etc -- Had my little dog "Kyzer" guarding the tent -- Also had my stuffed den & a Gal lioness, with Kyzer from Pioneer Hall -- Bed at 2:30 --

Harrison & Gourlay in "skipped" etc [J M Dormer?] -- Sparks Co Bunch of Keys

Thursday May 13

Same -- cloudy occasionally -- Wrote short letter to wife, & one to J M Dormer,