Diary 76-01: January, 1900 - preliminary transcript

New Year's Day -- My Nevada Write-up on 1900 SF Chronicle -- 20th Century Wrangle -- Van Duzer Wife -- Van Duzer -- Wm Webster

Carson City, Nevada, Monday, January 1, 1900

Cloudy -- moderate -- Observed after the usual style -- no business or working day -- people visiting each other & general sociability -- Evening mail I sent letters to SF Chronicle to return my Pioneer article, it not yet having appeared, to Van Duzer, and to Judge WM Webster, Reno telling him to look out for the SL Tribune, New Year's edition with my Nevada write up, from which he might get a few good extracts for his Reno Journal -- Bed 12 -- cloudy & no frost -- warmest night of winter --

Tuesday Jan 2

AM some good showers of rain. PM cloudy, variable -- moderate -- Rec'd 12 copies of Salt Lake Tribune of yesterday -- New Year's edition -- Had my Nevada write up in it all right -- 3 or 4 columns of it -- 64 pages -- for 5 cts -- gave away most of them -- Sent one to wife & one to Gardnerville Record -- Everybody in Carson, and according to the papers and telegrams, throughout the world wrangling about when the 20th century begins -- Evening about town -- Bed 12 -- clear & not frosty -- got letter from wife & from Van Duzer today --

Rainy -- Senator Jones with Magazine -- Irvin Lewis The Century Wrangle -- Cornelia Mail cut off -- Jim Townsend -- Magazine -- Van Duzer Lewis -- Pioneer Article Returned from Chronicle & sent to magazine --

Wednesday Jan 3

Light showers [illegible] and moderate -- PM & evening sent copy of magazine for December to Senator JP Jones -- Washington D.C. accompanied by a 2 page letter -- pen written -- Irvin Lewis, a young man, who says he is partner with Van Duzer in the Nevada Magazine, called on me at Post office this PM -- He is around on business for the concern -- came from Reno this AM & stays over tonight -- Century wrangle hotter than ever, all over town -- Bed 12 -- Got letter from Cornelia today -- Lewis is also a contributor to the magazine --

Thursday Jan 4

Cloudy -- moderate -- a few showers last night & early morning made plenty of mud -- A wreck or something on the big railroad, in the Sierra, prevented getting any mail or papers from the west -- Irvin Lewis went back to Reno on morning train -- Didn't see him -- sent page letter and copy of December Magazine to old Jim Townsend, Oakland -- Bed 12 -- foggy

Friday Jan 5

Variable -- muddy -- 2 letters from Van Duzer, 1 from Lewis and 1 from SF Chronicle returning my "Pioneer" article -- PM I revised it and sent it to Van Duzer for the Magazine -- He called for it in one of his letters today -- Bed 12 --

"Richard Carvel" -- My Nevada Write up Republished in News 1900 -- Carvel Sent to Bessie -- Billy Hill and the Old Hill Murder Mystery

Saturday Jan 6

Same -- Read considerable of "Richard Carvel" this evening and last, as wife asks me to send it to Bessie -- Bed 12 -- The Carson Evening News is publishing the whole of my Nevada write up in SL Tribune, by daily instalments of about a column giving me credit in the writer -- also the Tribune

Sunday Jan 7

Same -- Finished reading Richard Carvell and sent it by evening train to Bessie at home in Reno -- Bed 1 --

Monday Jan 8

Clear & pleasant -- Met Billy Hill, insurance agent from San Francisco today at the Arlington -- traveling on business -- used to beat Va when I was on GH News & before -- Brother to Hill, supt of Ophir mill on Carson River just above Dayton, who was waylaid and coldly butchered by robbers -- in an old abandoned laundry house in Spring Valley, on his way from Va with 3,000 in his buggy & 2 horses to pay off his employees at his mill -- This was way back in those early days and perpetrators never been found & brought to Justice since --

Sears Roebuck & Co -- Van Duzer -- TA Hofer Old Matt Callahan -- Wm Nelson with Magazine for Dec Sears, Roebuck & co & 50 cts --

Tuesday Jan 9

Same -- letter from Sears, Roebuck & Co telling me should have inclosed 50 cts, therefore wait further order -- Evening sent letter to Van Duzer -- 2 pages -- Bed 12 -- Met old Matt Callahan in town this evening -- from his ranch on Galena Creek, Washoe Valley -- In town on business -- Comstock old timer, one of the most noted -- His old brick yard down below Chinatown at Virginia was where all the boys used to go for a scrap or "to fight it out" anyway they chose --

Wednesday Jan 10

Same -- finer -- Sent letter to TR Hofer, Gardnerville, Douglas County schoolmaster to get his subscription to magazine -- to CD Van Duzer to Wm Nelson of SL Tribune, with December number of the Nev Magazine, and to Sears Roebuck & Co, Chicago, inclosing 50 cts in 2 ct postage stamps, duplicating order for that violin -- Bed 1 --

Bessie -- 2 Page -- fine Weather -- "Nance O'Neil" 1900 -- Phil Inquirer with 50 cts -- Van Duzer Barton Hill!!! -- Cheap Comstock Power One Year From Reno

Thursday Jan 11

Same -- Business -- PM wrote & sent 2 page letter to Bessie -- Bed 12 --

Friday Jan 12

Same -- warm pleasant sort of a spring day -- finest of the season -- 57° -- sent letter to Philadelphia Inquirer with 50 cts in postage stamps for

continuation & conclusion of "The Clown's Protege" -- Letter also to Van Duzer -- Evening "Nance O'Neil Co" in play of "Magda" with excellent dramatic company at Opera House -- good entertainment & audience-- Afterward was with Barton Hill (See Reno Gazette of January 15) and other members of the Co, at the Arlington for an hour or so -- But I was not there -- Met Mr Barton Hill at Arlington, after show was over & had a long & interesting chat together on literary and theatrical topics -- He is an old theatrical manager and agent on the Pacific coast -- Bed 1 --

Saturday Jan 13

Same - 60º -- About town canvassing most of day, but only got one sub -- Bed 12 -- Left Reno a year ago today for Carson -- A month later attended funeral of Mother Stoddard and left again for Carson --

Van Duzer -- Wife with Cornelia's Letter -- Showery I find spectacle -- Al O'Brien -- Wife Mrs Fox $8.20 Indian Suicide from Wild Parsnips -- Exempt Firemen's Election

Sunday Jan 14

Variable -- Light showers -- Snowing in mountains -- Letter from Van Duzer -- Sent him brief reply -- Also sent 2 page letter to wife, inclosing Cornelia's letter -- About town -- Bed 12 -- cloudy with light sprinkles of rain -- At the depot yesterday morning at arrival of train, office Ed Patterson picked up old pair of spectacles on platform -- finding no owner, and as they suited the focus of my eyes exactly he gave them to me -- quite convenient