Diary 63-02: February, 1888 - preliminary transcript

Vail - Rising Marriage High School Entertainment

daughter of Judge Rising -- church crowded -- Altar surrounding finely decorated with evergreens, holly, [similax?], oranges, etc -- Music fine & everything lovely -- Awhile after, I was up to the Rising residence on Howard st -- Grand reception, wine, cake, music, dancing etc -- Staid 1/2 hour -- About town, awhile -- Bed 2

Friday Feb 3

Cold -- AM Cloudy, PM clear -- About town -- PM was at train & saw Vail & wife leave on wedding tour to Los Angeles for a month -- Lots of friends at the depot to see them off -- Evening attended theater short time -- Entertainment by Va High School Literacy Society, for benefit of piano fund -- songs, recitations, music, etc, closing with a dance -- Bed at 12 -

I.O.O.F Nellie Boyd Company Frank G Newlands

Saturday Feb 4

Same -- About as usual on life insurance, but accomplished nothing -- Evening at regular meeting of Mount Davidson Lodge No 3, I.O.O.F -- [blank/erased?] Initiary Degree -- and saw Lew Alexander and Prof JE Bray initiated -- about town -- Bed 2 -- I think this is about the only time I have attended lodge since I was initiated, nearly 23 yrs ago -- After lodge I was at theater & saw last act of "Passion's Slave," by Miss Nellie Boyd and company - very good --

Sunday Feb 5

AM foggy -- PM cloudy -- cool -- About town all day -- Evening at the theater & saw closing

acts of "Unkown" by the Nellie Boyd company -- This closes their engagement -- Very slim house -- Wrote letter to Frank G Newlands, S.F. --

Ike Smith and Nathan Churchill dead

Monday Feb 6

Clear & very springlike -- I was about on insurance -- very muddy --Evening down town --Bed 1 --The following I cut out of the Virginia Evening Report -- Ike Smith cut me out in the affections of Mary MacDonald the schoolmarm at Como -- my rival is dead.

Spring Weather catheters 2nd Deg I.O.O.F. Rain

Tuesday Feb 7

Clearest and most pleasant day of the year thus far, -- Snow melted off lively -- Bed at 1 --

Wednesday Feb 8

Same -- Bed 2 -- Recd 2 dozen catheters from Wakelee & co

Thursday Feb 9

Same -- Evening cloudy -- Was at Comstock Degree Lodge & together with three others scooped in the 2d deg -- Bed 2 --

Friday Feb 10

Cloudy and colder -- Bed 1

Saturday Feb 11

Same -- Bed 12

Cloudy with occasional light showers of rain -- High winds from SW -- Evening clear but high winds -- PM attended meeting of Exempts, as 1st Vice President -- Bed at 1 --

Jim Bardwich insured coal China New Year

Monday Feb 13

Clear fine & pleasant -- PM James S Hardwich found me, & I wrote his application for $5,000 -- gave it to Dr Webber -- Evening attended initiation of Nevada Lodge I.O.O.F. -- Big crowd -- 2 initiated -- At 11:30 lively fire in Chinatown -- 2 b'ldings burned -- Ran to it -- Bed 2 -- China New Year in full blast --

Tuesday Feb 14

Cloudy & chilly -- About as usual -- Evening grand social and ball of the AOEW at National Guard Hall -- I looked in awhile -- Nearly or quite 2000 people present -- Bed 1 -- Got 400 lb Wellinton coal today from McGurn --

Wednesday Feb 15

Same, with light snowstorm most of the day -- Evening down town at 12 met Hy Crandall and Evans the banjo player -- Had been playing somewhere, Hy with his guitar & Evans with his banjo -- Went up to my room & we had a regular concert for

Banjo playing Joe King

nearly 2 hours -- One of the best banjo players I ever heard & the very best banjo (18 inch finger board or neck -- 11 inch head -- 38 brackets -- EG #B wire strings) Bed 2 -- Met Joe King on the street today -- He was police of Austin when I was

there and had charge of my old log cabin etc after I left -- Joe is on the lookout for something to do here, having decided to leave Austin -- He came in yesterday morning --

Thursday Feb 16

Clear & pleasant -- Was out on the Divide this PM -- seeing Chris Zigler and attending to other matters of insurance -- Evening at home -- Bed 12 --

Friday Feb 17

Same -- PM at Gold Hill -- Evening about town -- Bed 1 --

Blizzard Sandy Bowers' History I at Reno

Saturday Feb 18

Strong sleety freezing blizzard at 5 AM -- ground frozen good -- Left on the 7:45 AM train for Reno -- At Carson took short opportuity to call on Major [Garrard?], Supt, at the Mint -- Reno at 12N -- Weather fine & pleasant -- Folks all right -- After dinner wrote short not to Bankers & Merchans M L Ass, enclosing Hardwick's application -- took it to mail & was about town -- Home at 9 -- Bed 9:30 --

Sunday Feb 19

Clear & pleasant -- Home all day -- Evening, banjo & songs, also reading of Dickens' "Our Mutual Friend" -- Bed 9 --

Monday Feb 20

Same -- AM about town -- Got more material for history of Sandy Bowers for Dr

Bishop -- Started in at noon writing it up -- Evening at home, Bed 9:30 --

Sandy Bowers' History [Garrard?] Lovejoy, a painter, dies suddenly

Tuesday Feb 21

Same -- Morning down town -- At 9 resumed writing Bowers & kept steadily at it all day & evening not even stopping for lunch -- Down at depot at train time for about an hour -- Home at 9 -- wote till 1 & finished the job -- 12 pages -- Bed at 2 --

Wednesday Feb 22

Same -- Rose at 6:30 -- took the train for Va -- an hour behind time -- Laid over at Carson -- Interviewed Garrard & he gave me lots of documents relative to reporting Comstock for Gov't statistical work -- Was about town -- Flags flying all about in honor of Washington's birthday -- Va at 6:30 by local train -- JA Lovejoy, a painter just [blank/erased?] dead in Hannock's butcher and while buying some meat -- Was about town -- Bed 2 --

I am complete Odd Fellows Hardwicks Policy

Thursday Feb 23

Same -- At room most of day -- Evening in Degree Lodge, I & Jimmy Harris & Pascoe took the third Degree & became full Odd Fellows -- I was called on & made real good little speech which was well received -- Home -- Wrote -- Bed at 2 -- Rec'd Hardwick's policy from SF this morning $5,000 --

Friday Feb 24

Same -- PM about town -- Evening ditto -- Bed 2 --