Territorial Enterprise

February, 1883 - January, 1885
Alf Doten wrote for the Territorial Enterprise, the largest and most successful newspaper in Virginia City, sporadically from the time he moved to the Comstock in 1864 until the end of his life, as a freelancer and briefly as a “local reporter.” He also filled in for Dan De Quille at times when De Quille was detoxing from alcohol. After a great deal of financial and professional success as the publisher of the Gold Hill News, Doten’s fortunes took a very bad turn in late 1882, resulting in his family’s move in 1883 to Austin, Nevada, a more prosperous town where he might have more opportunities. They stayed for less than two years, but during that time Doten wrote 73 columns, “From Eastern Nevada” that were published in the Enterprise. It was his only steady work, and he gave it his best writing about daily life in Austin, a much smaller and quieter place than Virginia City. If nothing interesting was happening, he fantasized a bit, using fictional characters that typified (but exaggerated) the types of citizens of his new home. This series provides a wealth of information about Austin during the early 1880s

TE31 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday..........October 7, 1883 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Hard Winter Predictions—Piutes and Pine Nuts—Brutal Practice—Postal Annoyances—Boys Playing for Even—"Howly Moses"—Some Political Howls, Speculations and Propositions—Not for Daggett—The Winning Party Must Have the Winning Men—Mining Matters—Social Sensations. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., October 5, 1883. The regular "October flurry" of the last two or three days has set the weather prophets at work, as usual. And as usual they predict a "hard Winter." They tell how the chipmunks are building...
TE32 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday..........October 21, 1883 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Houses in Austin—About Telegrams—The Nevada Cadetship—Senatorial Propositions and Speculations—Mines and Mining Propositions—A Grasping Miner—The Comstock Chief—Earthquakes—Frank Stewart's Theory—Some Society Notes and Propositions. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., October 19, 1883. In my last letter, I wrote that houses are plenty in Austin, but they are all occupied, and the intelligent printer made "they are not occupied." He must be killed. Every house, little or big, is occupied to its fullest...
TE33 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday..........November 4, 1883 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Good Telegraphic Reports—County Treasury Robberies—How to Prevent Them—The Manhattan Mill and Austin Mines—A Long Milling Run and a Prosperous Outlook—How People Go and Come, and How They Feel About It—Outside Husks—Society and Senatorial Notes. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., November 2, 1883. The Reveille now has just as good telegraphic dispatches as any other paper on the Pacific Coast, in proportion to its size and field. They are newsy, fresh, varied, and, during the last day or two, decidedly...
TE34 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Wednesday..........November 14, 1883 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Austin Sundays—An Old Pioneer's Reluctant Death—Who Will Unearth His Buried Treasure?—A Strongly Pointed Moral—Chinese Funeral—Hog and Hominy—A Very Unique and Stylish Display—Chinese Free Masonry. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., November 11, 1883. To-day being the holy Sabbath, the people of Austin are undergoing their usual observance and appreciation thereof. The stores, bank, express and Postoffices are closed, the saloons are all open and the churches well attended. Austin likes to go to...
TE35 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday..........November 25, 1883 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Turkey Talk—The Spencerian Star-Route Episode—Mackay and Fair, and Stocks—Booms and Bubbles—Mackay and Reese Relics—Mining and Milling—Reese River Reminiscences—A Closely Milled Lot of Ore—Mullen's Hidden Treasure—Local Jottings—Etc. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., November 23, 1883. The near approach of Thanksgiving Day has caused the approach of numerous turkeys and other acceptable birds to Austin. The ranchers of both Reese River and Smoky Valleys have shown their ability and natural facilities...
TE36 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday……….December 9, 1883. FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Congressional Notes and Propositions—Blood and Crime in the East—Something about Bondsmen—Sunset Gorgeousness—Fog and Ashes—Silver Bricks—What Headlight Oil is—Matrimonial—Gastronomic—Heel and Toe and Beautiful Snow. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., December 7, 1883. The re-assembling of Congress is the principal item of exciting interest outside of local affairs, to us of Eastern Nevada. Yet even that does not much disturb the even tenor of our chronic equanimity. We keep somewhat of an interested eye,...
TE37 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday……….December 23, 1883. FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Gorgeous Theories—Bonanza Revelations, Boomings and Operations—Telegraph and Artesian Aspirations—A Postmaster in Bad Luck—The Manhattan Mill—An Affluence of Rich Ore and Good Prospects—Sensible Management and Profitable Results—Incidental Occurrences, Developments and Personalities. [Correspondence of the Enterprise] AUSTIN, Nev., December 21, 1883. Day before yesterday a heavy, wet snowstorm washed, disinfected and purified the air of this section from all traces of forest smoke, volcanic ashes, dry fog and all that...
TE38 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday. . . . . . . . . . January 6, 1884 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. A Peculiar Sketch of a Very Peculiar Old Pioneer and Inveterate Prospector—"Oh, Carry Me Back to Old Virginny"—The Silver Bricks of Austin—Spontaneous Generation—No Narrow-Gauge Deadheads—Holiday Amenities, Etc. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., January 4, 1884. There was a man. It was not the first time there had been a man, but this man was more manish than other men of his day and generation. His name was Horton, and he hailed from Baltimore. I first knew him as a California gold miner,...
TE39 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday. . . . . . . . . . January 20, 1884 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Austin's Temperatures—Skating Rink Troubles—Reese River Ice—Also Catfish—A Scrub Comet—Sad Life and Death History—The Curfew Bill—A Most Excellent Town Ordinance—Political and Senatorial—Gone to Butte, Montana—Nickel-Plated—Darling Old Venus [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., January 18, 1884. Perhaps it is just as wintry on the Comstock as it is in Austin. Anyhow, the temperature here is numerously variable, and it is no trick whatever for a nice, Spring-like day to wind up with a vicious...
TE40 TERRITORIAL ENTERPRISE Sunday. . . . . . . . . . February 3, 1884 FROM EASTERN NEVADA. Celestial New Year Amenities—An Affluence of Snow—Something About Stocks and Newspaper Men—The Bush and the Bird—That Tipperary Dividend—Booms—Mining Outlook—The Old Comstock, Her Present Condition, Prospects and Future Possibilities. [Correspondence of the Enterprise.] AUSTIN, Nev., February 1, 1884. The advent of China New Year, with its accompanying heavy snows, drove away those famous red glowing sunsets very summarily. And it was noticeable that they passed off to the westward. The comet, also, is...

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