Volume 036-1 - January 1982 (8 pages)

The October 4 Union announced that Algie Romargi,® the “young highwayman of Nigger Tent,” died at Folsom Prison the previous week. He had been sentenced to prison in February of 1881 for being involved in numerous robberies and murders. THE SOCIAL SCENE The new year was welcomed in Grass Valley with the firing of pistols and firecrackers. There was a watch service at the Methodist Chruch. Bells rang, steam whistles were blown and salutes were fired to usher in 1882 in Nevada City. Elser’s Band serenaded. In February the Reform Club gave up its building in Grass Valley because the $75 a month rent was too high. The hall had been dedicated in September of 1880 after the club had outfitted the former stable. Hamilton Hall had burned in December of 1881, leaving Grass Valley without a suitable auditorium. H.W. Cleveland, a San Francisco architect, was in town in January to study the conversion of the brick and stone Reform Hall to a theatre. Although they abandoned their building, the club continued with 10 cents a month dues. They sold their furniture, but kept the piano torent out. Later in the year, the Reform Club was planning to open a reading room. Activities of various lodges were headed “Secret Society Notes” in the Transcript. Olympic Lodge #74, Knights of Pythias, was instituted on July 6, 1882. (Spartan Lodge #37 KP was organized at North Bloomfield in 1876 and Milo Lodge #48 at Nevada City in 1878.) Chebrak Shaarek Zedek, a Jewish benevolent association that had been organized in Nevada City in 1878, but disbanded shortly after, was reorganized in Grass Valley in April of 1882. The University Club of Nevada County was organized in June and had a banquet at the Hotel de Paris (site of Bret Harte Hotel.) May 14 marked the start of Pucum, or May Moon Dance, at the Nevada City Campoodie. Tribes from Colfax, Buena Vista and Anthony House were to attend the affair to be held in Chief Sam’s Dance House. The Catholic Sunday School Picnic, the Protestant Picnic and Thomas’ Silver Cornet Band excursion and picnic were all held at Storms Ranch (Chicago Park area) that summer. Persons going to the Sunday Schol picnics were urged to buy an accident ticket from Charles E. Clinch, the agent. If injured so they could not work, a 25 cent ticket would entitle buyers to $15 a week. If killed, survivors would get $3,000. There was a rumor that there was an accident enroute to one of the picnics and Clinch had taken risks to $90,000. He rushed to the depot and was greatly relieved to find the rumor false. In June, Elser’s Swimming Baths opened for its second season on Wet Hill. Throughout the year the need for a new theatre in Grass Valley was discussed. Nevada City had the Nevada Theatre and Hunt’s Hall and when the Palmer Dramatic Company came to that city the Union editor observed, “Grass Valley is without a theatre and need not expect any first class companies to come.” However, the Nellie Boyd Theatrical Troupe, Jay Rials’ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin’”’ and other companies did play at Reform Hall that year. July the Fourth was celebrated at Watts’ Grove (present fairgrounds) in Boston Ravine and in Nevada City there was a parade, balloon ascensions, orations, fireworks and a Grand Ball. Among balls held in 1882 was the Pythian Entertainment and Uniform Ball at Hunts Hall in January, A Bon Bon Dance at Reform Hallin June anda Bald-headed Ball at Hunt’s Hall. Only “baldies and their partners” were to dance from 9-11, then the floor was to be open to all. Circuses performing in both towns in 1882 at Parker’s Lot near the Nevada City Depot or Cashin Field in Nevada City (site of National Guard Armory) and at Murphys Lot in Grass Valley included Westman’s Great Eastern Equine Paradox and Equescirriculum. Old John Robinson’s Moral Circus took 26 NCNG flatcars to transport it from Colfax to Grass Valley. The famous Dan Rice was master of ceremonies. The tent was lighted with Brush Electric Lights—“‘the brilliancy of which rivals the dazzling rays of a summers mid-day sun.” SPORTS Mrs. Ruth, widow of Dr. John Ruth of Oakland, opened shooting galleries in Grass Valley, Nevada City and Truckee during the first part of 1882. Mrs. Ruth and her late husband had given exhibitions of marksmanship in the east. Sam Snell and James Pascoe arrived from Virginia City for the Cornish Wrestling in Grass Valley on July Fourth. The mines shut down so employees could celebrate and attend the wrestling matches. Pascoe won first prize. The True Blue Base Ball Club organized in Grass Valley on July 1.Boston Ravine had its Eagles, Nevada City the Silver Stars and Marysville the Intrepids. There were apparently no scheduled games. The club secretary sent a challenge to a neighboring team and it was accepted or rejected. Best three out of five games decided the match. At the end of November ball playing in Grass Valley streets was endangering show windows and street lamps. Boys were reminded by the Union that there was an ordinance against playing ball in the streets. ODD BITS In early February bands of praying men and women started to enter the Holbrooke bar. Mrs. D.P. Holbrooke told them they would be welcome if they wanted to drink. When the salvationists returned the next night “to wrestle with the consciences of listeners,” Mrs. Holbrooke doused them with water. On the following evening, as the group gathered outside the same hotel and engaged in devotional exercises, Mr. Holbrooke appeared with a gong and his wife with a bell. They drowned out the voices of would-be reformers. Daniel’s Band left Grass Valley in April to pray for the sinners of Nevada City. It wag felt that “that benighted region, where the Sunday law was violated and whisky dispensed contrary to statutes, was a field of needed missionary labor,” the Union editor reported. Several telephones in use in Grass Valley for the past year were taken down in April “‘as the time for which they were rented expired and those who had been using them had not sufficient need.” A fire swept Sierra City on the evening of May 5, destroying a large portion of the town, including the Catholic Church, Oliva’s Store and Castagna’s saloon. Annie Mansaw, a Nevada City teacher, was censured, but not fired in June for helping three applicants for teaching certificates during the examination. The three applicants were tried by the Board of Education for unprofessional conduct, but were allowed to keep their certificates. Smith’s Hotel at Smartsville burned on July 17 and flames also destroyed William Chamberlain’s saloon, Thomas Murray’s livery stable, James O’Brien’s office building, the office of the Nevada Reservoir Ditch Company and several residences. , Grass Valley fire department’s new hose truck arrived. Firemen in uniform escorted the machine from the depot to Protection Company’s quarters, led by a drum corps. There they celebrated with refreshments before marching with the city dads to Eagle Company’s house, where they were entertained. The Wells Fargo Express office at Rough and Ready closed in September. In late October a fire in Truckee started in Paul Menk’s Brewery on Main Street. Sheritt House, the American Hotel and many other buildings were destroyed. hs.

The October 4 Union announced that Algie Romargi,® the “young highwayman of Nigger Tent,” died at Folsom Prison the previous week. He had been sentenced to prison in February of 1881 for being involved in numerous robberies and murders. THE SOCIAL SCENE The new year was welcomed in Grass Valley with the firing of pistols and firecrackers. There was a watch service at the Methodist Chruch. Bells rang, steam whistles were blown and salutes were fired to usher in 1882 in Nevada City. Elser’s Band serenaded. In February the Reform Club gave up its building in Grass Valley because the $75 a month rent was too high. The hall had been dedicated in September of 1880 after the club had outfitted the former stable. Hamilton Hall had burned in December of 1881, leaving Grass Valley without a suitable auditorium. H.W. Cleveland, a San Francisco architect, was in town in January to study the conversion of the brick and stone Reform Hall to a theatre. Although they abandoned their building, the club continued with 10 cents a month dues. They sold their furniture, but kept the piano torent out. Later in the year, the Reform Club was planning to open a reading room. Activities of various lodges were headed “Secret Society Notes” in the Transcript. Olympic Lodge #74, Knights of Pythias, was instituted on July 6, 1882. (Spartan Lodge #37 KP was organized at North Bloomfield in 1876 and Milo Lodge #48 at Nevada City in 1878.) Chebrak Shaarek Zedek, a Jewish benevolent association that had been organized in Nevada City in 1878, but disbanded shortly after, was reorganized in Grass Valley in April of 1882. The University Club of Nevada County was organized in June and had a banquet at the Hotel de Paris (site of Bret Harte Hotel.) May 14 marked the start of Pucum, or May Moon Dance, at the Nevada City Campoodie. Tribes from Colfax, Buena Vista and Anthony House were to attend the affair to be held in Chief Sam’s Dance House. The Catholic Sunday School Picnic, the Protestant Picnic and Thomas’ Silver Cornet Band excursion and picnic were all held at Storms Ranch (Chicago Park area) that summer. Persons going to the Sunday Schol picnics were urged to buy an accident ticket from Charles E. Clinch, the agent. If injured so they could not work, a 25 cent ticket would entitle buyers to $15 a week. If killed, survivors would get $3,000. There was a rumor that there was an accident enroute to one of the picnics and Clinch had taken risks to $90,000. He rushed to the depot and was greatly relieved to find the rumor false. In June, Elser’s Swimming Baths opened for its second season on Wet Hill. Throughout the year the need for a new theatre in Grass Valley was discussed. Nevada City had the Nevada Theatre and Hunt’s Hall and when the Palmer Dramatic Company came to that city the Union editor observed, “Grass Valley is without a theatre and need not expect any first class companies to come.” However, the Nellie Boyd Theatrical Troupe, Jay Rials’ “Uncle Tom’s Cabin’”’ and other companies did play at Reform Hall that year. July the Fourth was celebrated at Watts’ Grove (present fairgrounds) in Boston Ravine and in Nevada City there was a parade, balloon ascensions, orations, fireworks and a Grand Ball. Among balls held in 1882 was the Pythian Entertainment and Uniform Ball at Hunts Hall in January, A Bon Bon Dance at Reform Hallin June anda Bald-headed Ball at Hunt’s Hall. Only “baldies and their partners” were to dance from 9-11, then the floor was to be open to all. Circuses performing in both towns in 1882 at Parker’s Lot near the Nevada City Depot or Cashin Field in Nevada City (site of National Guard Armory) and at Murphys Lot in Grass Valley

included Westman’s Great Eastern Equine Paradox and Equescirriculum. Old John Robinson’s Moral Circus took 26 NCNG flatcars to transport it from Colfax to Grass Valley. The famous Dan Rice was master of ceremonies. The tent was lighted with Brush Electric Lights—“‘the brilliancy of which rivals the dazzling rays of a summers mid-day sun.” SPORTS Mrs. Ruth, widow of Dr. John Ruth of Oakland, opened shooting galleries in Grass Valley, Nevada City and Truckee during the first part of 1882. Mrs. Ruth and her late husband had given exhibitions of marksmanship in the east. Sam Snell and James Pascoe arrived from Virginia City for the Cornish Wrestling in Grass Valley on July Fourth. The mines shut down so employees could celebrate and attend the wrestling matches. Pascoe won first prize. The True Blue Base Ball Club organized in Grass Valley on July 1.Boston Ravine had its Eagles, Nevada City the Silver Stars and Marysville the Intrepids. There were apparently no scheduled games. The club secretary sent a challenge to a neighboring team and it was accepted or rejected. Best three out of five games decided the match. At the end of November ball playing in Grass Valley streets was endangering show windows and street lamps. Boys were reminded by the Union that there was an ordinance against playing ball in the streets. ODD BITS In early February bands of praying men and women started to enter the Holbrooke bar. Mrs. D.P. Holbrooke told them they would be welcome if they wanted to drink. When the salvationists returned the next night “to wrestle with the consciences of listeners,” Mrs. Holbrooke doused them with water. On the following evening, as the group gathered outside the same hotel and engaged in devotional exercises, Mr. Holbrooke appeared with a gong and his wife with a bell. They drowned out the voices of would-be reformers. Daniel’s Band left Grass Valley in April to pray for the sinners of Nevada City. It wag felt that “that benighted region, where the Sunday law was violated and whisky dispensed contrary to statutes, was a field of needed missionary labor,” the Union editor reported. Several telephones in use in Grass Valley for the past year were taken down in April “‘as the time for which they were rented expired and those who had been using them had not sufficient need.” A fire swept Sierra City on the evening of May 5, destroying a large portion of the town, including the Catholic Church, Oliva’s Store and Castagna’s saloon. Annie Mansaw, a Nevada City teacher, was censured, but not fired in June for helping three applicants for teaching certificates during the examination. The three applicants were tried by the Board of Education for unprofessional conduct, but were allowed to keep their certificates. Smith’s Hotel at Smartsville burned on July 17 and flames also destroyed William Chamberlain’s saloon, Thomas Murray’s livery stable, James O’Brien’s office building, the office of the Nevada Reservoir Ditch Company and several residences. , Grass Valley fire department’s new hose truck arrived. Firemen in uniform escorted the machine from the depot to Protection Company’s quarters, led by a drum corps. There they celebrated with refreshments before marching with the city dads to Eagle Company’s house, where they were entertained. The Wells Fargo Express office at Rough and Ready closed in September. In late October a fire in Truckee started in Paul Menk’s Brewery on Main Street. Sheritt House, the American Hotel and many other buildings were destroyed. hs.