Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog number |
1997.2.1788 |
Object Name |
Clipping, Newspaper |
Description |
TITLE: New Almaden's Great Days Fred P. Hauck Jr., 878 Kingfisher Drive, walked into the newspaper office the other day with a battered old ledger bearing the title "Monthly Report of the Surface Foreman." It is a handwritten account of events at the New Almaden mines, starting on Jan. 31, 1883, and is comparable in interest to the old record book of Empire Engine No. 1 of the San Jose Fire Department from which I quoted extensively here during the past year. The elder Hauck came to New Almaden from New York in 1914 as clerk at the mines and became superintendent in the early 1930s. He was also postmaster there in the 1920s. The reports were written by C. F. O'Brion, the foreman, and addressed to F. S. Rice, the superintendent. The very first page carries an account of a snowfall: "On Sunday, Dec. 31, 1882, an unusual phenomenon in nature for this locality occurred in the shape of a Snow Storm, commencing early in the morning and continuing until late in the evening, snowing in right good New England style, falling to a depth of four (4) inches or more, very wet and heavy in character, causing the limbs of many oak trees to . break off with the weight. New Year's Day found the mine completely wrapped in a blanket of snow, which at 10 o'clock a.m. had all melted, with scarcely a sign of it remaining." One resident of the town didn't get to see the snow melt, however: "Only one coffin was made during the month by the company, and that was for an old standby, Francisco Perez, who died suddenly about 2 o'clock on the morning of Jan. 1, and it is presumed by the priest, he spent a Happy News Years Day in his home "behind the cloud." There was a good deal of construction going on at the time and not all of it had to do with mining business, some of it relating to the amenities: "Hill saloon, - Putting in new Oregon pine tongue and groove floor and repairing windows and shutters. "Boarding house -- Repairing sewer, which was in a fearful state, and had to be done. "Music Hall - Fitting up the hall by taking out -all petitions (sic), erecting a stage 12 ft. deep across one end for general amusement purposes. Still unfinished. The company is putting the hall in order so far as carpenter work, whitewashing, painting, etc., is concerned. "The Hill was generally searched on the 6th for tools with a limited catch, as they are shutting down on this carrying home business, of the company property." Eight people were banished from the mine hill for such reasons as "selling liquor in his house;" "selling contraband goods, tobacco, etc.," being a hoodlum" and "keeping a disorderly house." One of the hoodlums, however, was allowed to return the following month, having become "materially tamed down", and was permitted by orders of Mr. Rice, supt., to resume work at Randol Pl. as laborer, at $1.75 per day. To raise the general level of the community, however, religion was being encouraged: "A parsonage for the resident minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church Rev., Mr. Milne was commenced on the 25th of the month. The situation of the edifice is near the church. Dimensions, 28 ft. x 25 ft., with 5 rooms and will cost about $750. "The building is being built by subscriptions from all residents who take any interest in the church, both members and of the church and not members, under the direction of Captain Harry. But even clergymen are subject to weaknesses of the flesh, as noted in the February report "Thomas L., an ex-Cornish preacher and miner, turned off for drunkenness and ungentlemanly conduct towards a lady. We'll have more notes out of this interesting journal later. |
People |
Hauck, Fred (F.P., Jr., Sr.) O'Brion, Charles F. Rice, Frank S. Perez, Francisco Milne, Reverend |
Cataloged by |
Boudreault, Art |