Diary 59-10: December, 1885 - preliminary transcript

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Virginia City, Nevada; December 1885.A typewritten transcript of Doten's handwritten diary by Marianne Jaffe.

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"opening" I ever saw here -- Bed at 3 -- Col Shaw stood in as editor again tonight --

Wednesday Dec 2

The same -- Attended meeting of County Commissioners, & reported -- Bed at 3 -- Shelving

Thursday Dec 3

Same -- Emma Nevada arrived by morning train -- I saw her pass along C street in carriage on return from Gold Hill -- I got in my work early and went to Opera House to my reserved seat at 7:30 because of the immense rush -- Very fine concert -- commenced at 8:15 -- Cohen reported it -- as he is the self constituted theatrical critique of the enterprise -- Through in office at 2:30 -- Home -- Bed 4 -- Cold & clear -- Letter from wife today, with profecy of calamity to train in it, from a Reno seeress -- No accident happened, however, I worked 3 hours today making some shelves in my room -- on back side of wood & coal box -- Good job --

Beam Pixley "The Mikado" M H de Young Sleepless night

Friday Dec 4

Same -- About as usual on mining matters -- Met E B Pixley ("Beam" Pixley) that used to be in Como when I was -- & was a telegraph operator there -- Now he is telegraph operator railroad agen at Hawthorne -- We cruised about short time together, to Savage office etc -- Office till 2-- Bed 2:30

Saturday Dec 5 Same -- As usual -- Evening I got in early work & went to the the "Mikado" at Opera

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House -- Big house -- Very funny -- Enjoyed it much -- of the "Pinafore" order -- musical burlesque -- Home at 2 -- wrote letter to M H de Young of SF Chronicle -- Fixed up Sammy's goat, shaved etc & got ready to go to Reno -- Didnt go to bed or sleep at all --

I in Reno My Blanket Overcoat More Snow

Sunday Dec 6

Same -- Went to Reno on morning train -- Found all righ -- Evening down town with wife to train & mailed my letter to M H de Young -- Bed at 10:30 -- This was a sharp, cold morning -- I slept in my seat in the car from Carson to Steamboat -- about an hour --

Monday Dec 7

Very sharp clear, cold morning -- Off for Va at 7:10 -- Had my big blanket over-coat which my folks got dyed last week in Reno for $4 to a nice dark brown from the (( word erased )) coler it had -- Found it good to wear & comfortable -- Va at 11 -- found a little snow in Carson & 1 or 2 inches in Va -- Fell early this

carpentering Col Shaw gone to SF Va Dramatic Co -- "Under the Gaslight"

morning -- commenced carpentering my new clothes closet or shelves -- got up 1st shelf -- & had to quit to go to office to work -- Col Shaw went to San F this eveing on a private detective arrangement in connection with libel suit of E J Reek of Eureka vs the Enterprise -- to be gone 3 or 4 days -- Old Jim Townsend in his place on the paper -- Play of "Under the Gaslight" at Opera House this evening by

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Virginia Dramatic Company -- They had a good house -- The company all young fellows & girls -- Did very well for amateurs -- Bed at 3:30 --

carpentering Capt C J Hinds dies

Tuesday Dec 8

Clear & cool -- worked at my shelving in room -- Work in office as usual Bed at 2:30 --

Wednesday Dec 9

Cloudy & cold -- Capt CJ Hinds died at 7 AM -- PM I met Charley Legate , & he & I paid a visit to Miss Harried Hinds at the Wm Tell House -- She is niece to the Captain, & arrived from Boston yesterday morning on purpose to see him -- She will take the corpse home to the scenes of his childhood starting on Friday -- Hines was local on the Enterprise in January and February, after Dan was dis-charged and until I took hold -- He died at the Hospital of dropsy of the abdomen -- Been tapped twice in the last 3 weeks -- 3 gallons each time -- Taken with bleeding at

Dan Delaney shot

stomach about 2 months or 6 wks ago, superinduced by heavy, constant drinking and no eating -- Would rather drink than eat -- took to his bed and dropsy followed -- I work as usual -- Bed at 3:30 -- snowing furiously -- Wrote a good obituary send off for Hinds tonight for mornings paper --

Thursday Dec 10

Cloudy & cool -- The snowstorm this morning did not amount to much -- Dan Delaney, a miner in the Conbination shaft was shot by officer Linehan about 5:30 oclock

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this morning on C street near the Delta saloon -- Delaney was making himself trouble-some and resisted arrest -- Linehan shot four shots -- One entered his groin,

Rex Magnus

another his right breast & the third made flesh wound on outside of his thigh -- the other ball missed him -- Badly wounded but may live -- Bed at 3:30 -- Today I bought from a traveling agent with one arm David Wilson one printed right to use "Rex Magnus," or Professor D M Marks' recipe for preserving fruits, vegetable, meats, fish, etc in a natural state for 30 monthsor more -- full directions for making the liquid -- His price is $5 but I became very well acquainted with him & being a newspaper man he sold the right to me for a dollar, cash --

Wife in Va Shaw Demoralized

Friday Dec 11

Same -- Mining & lively day for me -- reporting with various mines as usual every Friday -- Evening got through in office at 1 -- Home -- odd jobs -- Bed at 4 --

Saturday Dec 12

Clear & pleasant -- Wife came on morning train -- Went to breakfast together at Chanmond's -- Then I went with her down about to [Osbisky?] shaft & left her to visit Mrs Tony Fox -- Home -- She came in, an hour afterward -- She visited at Kirby's awhile -- I went to work as usual at 4 -- Col Shaw badly demoralized at drinking & gambling -- Jim worked in his place & was himself pretty tight -- The editorial end of the paper was decidedly demoralized -- Fire up on Stewart street

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bet Sutton & Boaanza Avenues -- 2 story house of [William] Kane -- About all burned up -- I was to it -- Through in office at 1 -- Bed at 1:30 -- Wife & I dined at room this evening, fresh raw can of Eastern oysters, crackers, etc -- Nice --

Sunday Dec 13

Same -- We rose at 10 -- I went up to Jake Becker's bakery & got 10 cts worth of fresh rolls, also got 3 boxes of sardins for 4 bits at Ford's -- opened one & we had boiled sweet potatoes, coffee, sardines, rolls and fresh Honey Lake apples for breakfast -- PM at home with wife -- We had turkey & chicken dinner at Grand Central restaurant -- Saw her off on evening train at 5:25 -- Home to room -- started writing

"Sketch of Nevada"

"Nevada" for M H De Young of SF Chronicle -- sketch of the resources, mineral & agricultural including the last year, principally, with a fiew at the future of the State -- Laid down & slept about 3 hours on bed --

Monday Dec 14

Clear, sharp & blustering -- Rose at daylight -- Finished my de Young article on "Nevada" at 4:30 PM -- enclosed it with private note to de Young and mailed the same as it has to be at the Chronicle office S.F. by Tuesday the 15th -- 957 words --

Shaw bad

Office as usual -- Col Shaw drinking & gambling & not put in appearance till nearly 10 oclock -- I through at 1 -- Home-- Bed at 3 --

Tuesday Dec 15

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