By William Daugherty in 1891.
Man having a drink.
The subject of this sketch needs no introduction to the old pioneers of Nevada, for he was known as widely as any Governor the State ever had and probably, by generous deeds, endeared himself to a larger circle of hardy toilers than ever did any of our millionaires. He had his faults, for he was convivial, yet his reformation from whisky was complete and so unique that it will bear recounting. Frank came from the northern mines of California to Nevada and was among the first to reach the Reese River mining section. He tried prospecting for a while with indifferent success and then milling with no better luck. Then, in Austin, he was Deputy U.S. Postmaster under old Colonel Allen for a while. He soon found the occupation too confining, and he quit it to become manager of King & O’leary’s Saloon.
Here, his desires had a full swing, and he could indulge in his favorite pastime of playing poker without meeting a scowl when he faced his employer, for that was part of the business. But, he never neglected his duties and, when off shift, aided his employer O’Leary in the storeroom back of the saloon in making “Oregon cider” and reducing the liquors. This opened Frank’s eyes to the adulterations practiced in “fixing” the whisky, and he resolved to reform. Upon making the resolve, he wrote to his old mining “pard” named Rhodehimer the following letter, which the latter gave from memory to this writer, and the substance of it is here reproduced because it tells the story in a style that marks the manner of the man.
After the usual introduction, Frank said:
“I have a surprise in store for you which will seem so incredible that I fear you will dismiss it by saying I don’t mean it. I have resolved at this late day in life to follow the good advice you gave me ‘many a time and oft’ and which went unheeded through pure cussedness on my part. It is really startling and hence I have prepared you for it by this slight introduction. Know then, my dear old boy, that your wayward friend, over whom you have so many times shed tears of honest grief for his persistent indulgence in the cup that inebriates, know, I say, that I have resolved to stop drinking whisky.
I fear that you will doubt my resolution and, therefore, I must again assure you that I am in deep earnest and mean what I say. Never again will I permit a drop of the pernicious liquid to trickle down my gullet. Never, on my sacred honor, do I swear it. And I would have all my friends go and do likewise, and for the sake of the ties that bind us together as old ‘pards,’ I sincerely trust you will follow my example. Promise me this, and I will be happy. It will be easy for you to take the pledge. Nothing will ever tempt you to break it. You will have no desire when once your eyes are opened as mine have been. In fact, you will admit as I do, that any man is a d—–d fool to drink whisky when he can get good brandy. From now on, I shall drink brandy.”
He kept his pledge to the end of his life, and although his last days were spent in affluence and luxury even, through a pointer got from Sam Jones, by which he made $50,000 in Belcher, yet he never broke his pledge, and the last act of his life was to take a sip of brandy.
By William Daugherty, for the Reno Evening Gazette, April 24, 1891. Compiled and edited by Kathy Weiser/Legends of America, updated March 2022.
About the Author: Written by William Daugherty wrote for the Reno Evening Gazette in 1891. The Gazette was first published on October 12, 1876, and continued for the next 107 years. In 1977, it was merged with the Nevada State Journal and continues today as the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Note: The article is not verbatim as spelling errors, minor grammatical changes, and editing have occurred for the ease of the modern reader.
Also See:
Pioneers on the Nevada Frontier (Reno Evening Gazette)
Tales of the Overland Stage (Reno Evening Gazette)
Nevada Mining Tales (Reno Evening Gazette)