Governor Nye Arrives in Nevada:
I started out trying to figure this question out for myself. So I headed to the Nevada State Archives to see if they could help me out. They did not know that date, but had Governor Nye's correspondence so I spent some hours going through the records. I Found a letter from B. B. Bunker - a steamship agent gives us a clue (see next two pages). Nye's ship was scheduled to set sail on May 21st. However, Bunker recommends he wait until the first June steamer for two reasons. 1) It is always troubling dealing with the government and supplies and money. A few extra weeks would make it easier for the steamship company to get both. 2) Our country needs to get its house in order. He believes that the extra weeks will see positive changes. (Boy, was he wrong). This letter was written on May 6th and Fort Sumter was fired on April 13th - that is only three weeks before. The State Archives also has a telegram from Orion Clemens (the new Secretary of the Territory). On August 12th he informs the Governor he will arrive on Tuesday. The telegram was sent from the Reese River District - Austin. (By the way, Samuel Clemens or Mark Twain would be on the same stage with his brother.) Travel from the east coast to California could be completed in as little as 30 days. Since this ship was carrying a Governor, I will assume that the trip was that long. That would put Nye in Carson City early in July and no later than August 8th. In actuality James W. Nye was appointed and commissioned by President Lincoln, Governor of Nevada Territory, March 22, 1861. Governor Nye arrived in Carson July 8, 1861, and on the 11th day of that month issued a proclamation declaring the Territorial Government organized. This check was written slightly longer than 6 months after Nye arrived in Carson City. Sam Chinaman: The next questions is, "Why is Governor Nye writing Sam Chinaman a check." In this time in history the Chinese were generally used for one of three things. 1) Hard labor building ditches, railroads, etc. These Chinese were part of a Tong and the Tong was paid and they paid the Chinese laborer. 2) The Chinese often did laundry for the whites. Although that often fell to women, men also would do laundry. But they would be paid $1 to $2 at a time for when they actually did the laundry. 3) The Chinese were often employed as cooks by the whites who had more money. $25 would be just about right for a cook's pay in 1862. That would be $1.00 a day! As a side note, I did find one rather backhanded support that Governor Nye showed the Chinese. Nye in his address to the Territorial Legislature in November of 1862 addressed one concern he had. A mulatto (1/2 blood Negro) could not testify against a white. A person with 1/8th blood Chinese could not testify against a white. He found this to be disparate and that the defendant (Chinese in this case) deserved the right to testify on his behalf. That is if he is less than 1/2 Chinese! |
1. "Appendix to Journals of Senate and Assembly of the 18th Session of the Legislature of the State of Nevada, 1897"
2. Sacramento Daily Union, November 13, 1862 3. "Maritime History of California", online 4. wikipedia 5. Nevada State Archives [copies of Bunker letter and Clemens telegraph] |