Diary 61-2: November, 1886 - preliminary transcript

15 politicians considerably today & evening -- Home at 11 -- read & wrote etc -- Bed at 4 -- Most of snow melted off today, but left the streets muddy --

Tuesday Nov 2

Same -- Grand general election day -- State Election -- PM was about town -- voted -- Evening was called upon to report the election in this city -- Did so in good style -- Had to visit all the wards, from one end of the city to the other -- over a mile about twice -- Bed at 3 --

Election Returns -- Harry Johns $20

Wednesday Nov 3

Same -- PM about town -- Was engaged in getting in the local election returns for Enterprise till 1 oclock -- Bed at 4 -- This PM Harry Johns met me on the street & we went to the Crystal saloon & had a pleasant little talk -- He presented me with $20 --

Thursday Nov 4

Same -- The Fourth ward, Va & 2nd Ward GH got through counting last evening, the First & 2nd Wards, Va, this morning and the 3rd Ward, Va, & 1st Ward G.H. this PM -- Grand Republican victory throughout the state -- Nearly a clean sweep -- Bed at 1 --

Stevenson Serenade -- Stevenson Governor

C C Stevenson being found to be elected Governor, his miners from the Kentuck mine, and other friends gave him a big serenade this evening -- Cara's brass band from here went down -- Miners marched -- about 200 from the mine down to his residence -- Music, fine spread of good things, speeches etc -- On the way back they stopped at

Senator Jones' & had a similar good time -- and better --

John Mackay leaves -- L P McCarty

Friday Nov 5

Same -- Odd jobs about home -- Rode down to Mound House on evening train & back -- John Mackay on train, bound for San Francisco -- expected to find Jones also, but he wasn't there -- Bed at 1 -- Wrote letter to L P MoCarty, San F tonight --

Saturday Nov 6

Same -- Rode down on the evening train to Mound House & back -- Jones not on board -- He will doubtless go down to S.F. tomorrow -- Bed at 1 --

Off for Reno -- Political -- Kindergarten --

Sunday Nov 7

Same -- About town in the PM -- Found that Jones is going down to SF tonight so I took the evening train myself at 5:45 -- Found good chance to talk with him as we rode in same seat all way from Carson to Reno -- Senator Stewart also on board, Both of them bound for San Francisco -- Found all right at home -- Bed at 10 --

Monday Nov 8

Cloudy, blustery, cold & disagreeable -- About town most of day talking political matters -- At 9:30 AM visited the kindergarten school of Misses McCracken and Tinlayson with Alfie and Goodie -- Very interesting exercises by the 24 little girls and boys belonging to it, including Goodie -- Was at Reno Journal offices couple

Mrs Lew Stevenson -- Earthquakes

17 of times -- Evening a heavy snowstorm, apparently coming before morning -- Wife & I visited Mrs Lew Stevenson at the Golden Eagle Hotel, a short distance around the block from our home -- She has lately returned from a 11 years absence in Colorado & the East, with her son Charlie -- Two shocks of earthquakes were felt here in Reno today -- one at 9:30 AM and the other at 2 PM -- the first shock shook down can goods, bottles, etc in some of the stores, yet the damage was slight --

Jeff Hull -- 1886 -- G H W Crockett

Tuesday Nov 9

Clear & pleasant -- The morning train brought me to Va -- About town as usual -- Wrote letter to Country Assessor Hull at Austin telling him as't stands unless he has appropriated it -- also to W H Crockett enclosing $2 to pay the aforesaid taxes of $1.80 -- Evening I rode down to Mound House -- back -- Bed at 1

Wednesday Nov 10

Same -- PM & evening about town -- Bed at 2 --

Earthquake at Va -- 20 letters to 20 Senators

Thursday Nov 11 Same -- PM about town -- evening ditto -- Bed at 1 --

Friday Nov 12

Same -- at 8 oclock this evening I was sitting at my desk in my room in the Douglass building and felt a good solid jolt of an earthquake -- Was down town afterward & found quite a number who felt it -- Tonight I wrote letters to each of the legislators

18 Senatorial elect, telling them I am candidate for Engrossing clerk of the Senate -- Bed at 3 -- 20 letters -- What I wrote on each was as follows

Virginia, Nev Nov 13, 1886

Dear sir -- I am candidate for Engrossing Clerk of the Senate. Any favor therein at your hands will be dearly appreciated by Your friend Alf Doten

Big Stock Boom --

Saturday Nov 13

Same -- Continued excitement in stocks -- Con Cal & Va touched $16 an improvement in mine -- All other stox up in sympathy -- best boom for years -- got off my letters to Senators this evening mail -- 18 of them -- bed at 2 --

Snow -- Cold Snap -- at Reno -- 9 deg above zero --

Sunday Nov 14

Cloudy, cold, threatening -- Took morning train at 8 for reno -- Found all right at home -- about 4 PM heavy snowstorm set in for an hour or two -- I stayed at home -- About an inch of snow fell -- bed at 9 -- Clear & cold --

Monday Nov 15

Clear & cool -- froze all day in the shade -- Rose at 6 -- Thermometer showed 9 deg above zero -- Pretty dam cold, so to speak, for so early in the season -- Found a little more snow at Va than in Reno or Carson -- about 2 inches perhaps on average -

Wrote letters to R S Osburn, Reno and H Harris, Genoa, both Democratic State

Wrote 2 more senators - -- Jeff Hull and Old Crockett

Senators elect telling them of my candidacy for Engrossing Clerk -- Received letter from G W H Crockett, tax receiver at Austin, returning the $2 overpaid on my taxation in Lander County -- Also a letter from Jeff Hull County Assessor explanatory. Wrote him a letter in reply & sent it -- Also wrote a long 8 page letter to Crockett before I went to bed -- Bed at 2 -- 20 deg --

Tuesday Nov. 16 Same -- Rode on morning train as far as Mound House -- found by telegraph communication that Yerington was on the up train -- Waited and rode back -- got chance to speak

I Enterprise "local" again --

with him a few minutes, about a chance to report Legislature this session for Enterprise -- No satisfaction at present -- at noon was informed by Pete Myers, a printer that Young Rountree had resigned as local of Enterprise, because of insufficient pay, and gone to clerking for J R Douglass, the stock broker -- He used to be the same with Geo T Marye, stock broker -- He was paid $100 per month as local on Enterprise -- The result was that I was called to the office and reinstated as local at my old salary, $30 per week -- So I went on to work as usual tonight -- Got

Wife with $20 -- Forbes and Powell

along well -- Home at 1:30, Bed at 2:30 -- Cloudy and promising a snowstorm --