Diary 62-4: July, 1887 - preliminary transcript

Could not recognize one of them – Their clothes had been removed and all were of a dark brown color almost black – Ham rind – as though they had been baked or roasted brown in an oven – the flesh being shriveled & dry – Tregallis’ head dropped off in handling, in the drift, In fact he came apart and two or three places – Their names were John M Kennedy – Foster Hamilton, Edward B Jeffrey, Martin Tregallis, Peter Eddy, and Charles Daugherty – This PM, on C St. in conversation with others on the subject of the day I was accosted by an oldish looking man about 49

Moses Simmons of Plymouth

yrs of age, plainly dressed who asked me which of the crowd was Mr. Doten. I told him and he said he was Moses Simmons, of Plymouth, youngest son of George Simmons who used to keep the coal yard – I did not remember him or recognize him in the least, nor he me – We had a long interesting chat together – also some beer – I was about town considerably this evening – Bed at 1 – Mose Simmons used to go to school to Eunice – arrived this morning and in looking for a job, in the mill or in mining works, seems like a wide awake, pretty good man –

Mose Simmons leaves for Glenbrook

Monday, July 11

Clear and pretty warm – 82° – a.m. busy at home, at odd jobs – PM about town – Met Mose Simmons again, and saw him off on the evening training for Carson in route to Glenbrook, Lake Tahoe, where do you expect to get a job in the sawmill – Evening about

town till 10 – Nothing new – bed 12 – Mose Simmons has been up in Washington territory and about Puget Sound last five years, engaged at sawmill and lumbering work – Came now direct from there, and at Carson, on his way to Glenbrook he found everybody knew and spoke well of me – Came up here purposely to see me –

Another Big Funeral day

Tuesday, July 12

Same – the funeral the 6 mining victims took place today – Kennedy’s from the Catholic Church in Gold Hill – He was buried in the Catholic cemetery, GH – The others were all buried here – Eddy first by the K of P before noon – At noon I rode with Charley Legate to Gold Hill in his one horse, two-wheeled cart – Funeral of Foster Hamilton and Martin Tregallis took place from Masonic Hall – Immense crowd occupied the town – the funeral procession to Va was big – brass band, at head – Charley and I were in the line of carriages, and it was a double line, with the two hearses abreast, and the miners and others on foot, 4 abreast – First time

Largest funeral of all yet –Double Funeral Features this double hearse and carriage arrangement was ever seen on the Comstock – Made very imposing appearance – passing down C st – out to the cemetery – At 5 PM funeral of Jeffrey and Doherty took place from Odd Fellows Hall & was the largest of all – Miners Union 500; AOUW 130, IOOF 120; Pall bearers, 16, Band 14; in 60 carriages, 240 people – Total over 1000 people, making the largest attended

I ever saw on the Comstock – the mines mostly shut down today, business houses ditto – flags all at 1/2 mast – Very populous day on the streets – Evening about

Owen Fraser

town considerably – Bed at 12 – tired –

Wednesday, July 13

Same – As usual – About town – Bed 12 –

Thursday, July 14

Clear & cooler – Bed 12 – Met Owen Fraser on C street today – Has been up in Washington territory last five years – or so, but has returned to stay – Weighs 318 lbs & looks as vigorous as ever –

Friday, July 15

Same – About town financiering – Bed at 11 –

Transfer of my Centennial stock

Saturday, July 16

Clear warm and pleasant – 84 degrees – Financiered $25, and at 11 AM road to Gold Hill with Ed Stevenson and on his 1 horse buckboard – Found Harry M Gorham, secy of the Centennial GSM co – Paid $20 balance of my assessment and got my stock transferred & fixed as follows respectively in certificates –

No 314 Shares 500 Henry C Johns

“ 315 “ 500 Alf Doten

“ 316 “ 500 Alf Doten

“ 317 “ 515 ½ Alf Doten

This leaves me 1515 1/4 shares – The morning express train from Reno was 3 1/2 hours late though some delay on the Central Pacific, so I caught it and wrote it at 1:30

Showers – M Carey –

PM – Evening about town – bed at 12:30

Sunday, July 17

AM clear & hot – PM cloudy, & cooler –Thunder showers set in about 2 PM & continued at intervals during the evening – Laid dust and purified atmosphere finely I was about town some – Wrote letter to wife but was too late for the mail – Evening wrote 2 page letter to M Carrie, Supt Reno Reduction Works – Bed at 2 –

Borrowed $100 of Matt Rider The Jersey Lilly – Showers

Monday, July 18

Cloudy most of day, and at noon heavy thunder storm of rain & hail – I was about town financiering – Borrowed $100 of Matt rider, my old Plymouth friend, who works at the Con Va assay office – Paid all my small borrowings of the last 3 weeks and have $30 left – Sent that letter to Wife – evening train with additional page – Was about town in evening – Bed at 12:30 – clear –

Tuesday, July 19

Variable & very pleasant – About town – Evening to Harrie Johns to Pipers Opera House and deadheaded in it to see Mrs Langtry and her company in Pygmalion and Galatea –

Pygmalion and Galatea – Mrs Langtry

Big house with high rates of admission -- He enjoyed the play very much, but the "jersey Lily" is growing too stocky, too much of the turnip order for continued good shapeliness -- She is a pretty good actress, and has excellent lady support, men not accounting to much -- not even Mr Morton Sellen as "Pygmalion" -- A great crowd assembled, at the depot when the morning train arrived to see the famous English beauty arrive, but she didn't arrive -- She & her company came from San F in her own special eating & sleeping car to Carson, but being 74 ft long, Yerington decided that it would be injurious and unsafe to pass around the short curves of the road, so it staid in Carson, & she & co came through in carriages, arriving at 2 PM -- Her engagement here was only for this evening -- The theater was not very crowded -- not as large a house as Emma [illegible] had -- Bed at 1 --

Langtry -- Andrew Lawson -Centennial Assessment 3 cts --

Wednesday July 20

Clear & pleasant -- 75 deg -- Mrs Langtry left for Carson at the close of the show last night, by a 4 in hand carriage to sleep in her own private car -- Her Co followed her by this morning's train -- About noon Andrew Rawson found me, on the street -- we went to my room & had long talk about our knowledge of the Chollar upper workings & how to take advantage of it -- at 2 PM I rode in 'bus to Gold Hill to attend a meeting of the Centennial trustees -- It was over, & all right -- Assessment No 31 of 3 cts levied -- Evening about town -- Bed at 1 --