Columnists
There was once a time in America when a newspaper considered it respectable to begin a story with the unfortunate souls who had departed this world. A man and his wife would perish, and the editor, being of sound mind and ordinary decency, would commence by saying precisely that. It
Columnists
There is no creature in America more confident than a man who has been awake all night and has convinced himself that coffee is a substitute for the laws of nature. He will argue with his wife, his employer, his physician, and even the Almighty, but he will never argue
Columnists
Virginia City sprang up the way most mining towns do: overnight, without a plan, and with all the dignity of a poker player who has just mistaken luck for intelligence. One day, there was sagebrush and loneliness; the next, there were miners, merchants, saloons, gamblers, and enough optimism to bankrupt
Columnists
I must confess, dear reader, that the notion of sitting with historical figures has always struck me as a peculiar form of vanity. We modern folk, armed with smartphones and opinions on every subject under heaven, imagine ourselves qualified to advise people who actually lived through history rather than merely
Columnists
Some forms of government in this country seem designed for no purpose other than testing a citizen's patience. I have spent enough years filling out paperwork to conclude that a man can lose his faith, his dignity, and his afternoon while trying to satisfy a clerk armed with
Columnists
Some establishments in Nevada have endured so long that they resemble stubborn geological formations rather than typical establishments. The Gold Hill Hotel is one of them. Built in 1859 and opened in 1861, it has endured mining booms, several busts, economic panics, modern fashion, and several generations of people who
Columnists
There are few things in this world more confident than a man driving down a highway at night. He believes the road will remain where it was yesterday, that the other fellow will stay in his lane, and that fate has taken the evening off. History, however, suggests fate rarely
Columnists
The people of Storey County have undertaken the solemn and patriotic duty of fixing the doors at Piper’s Opera House, which proves two things beyond dispute: first, that the old building is still standing; and second, that no task on the Comstock is too simple to escape the affectionate
Columnists
I have always admired people's ability to learn from experience. It is one of our finest qualities, right after stubbornness, impatience, and the conviction that the speed limit applies only to other people. On Wednesday, June 3, several vehicle crashes happened in the Tahoe Reno Industrial Center. The
Columnists
Some men seem destined for greatness, some for obscurity, and a rare few who appear determined to become cautionary tales. Mr. Blaze Thomas belongs to that last category. Indeed, when a fellow is named Blaze, one suspects that destiny has already placed a wager on how spectacularly events may unfold.
Columnists
There was a time when a town worried about ordinary things. Folks lost sleep over cattle rustlers, highwaymen, and whether Cousin Elmo should be left alone near a poker table. Those were simpler days. Now we have progressed. We worry about giant warehouses full of blinking lights that spend their
Columnists
Some events remind a man how astonishingly efficient government can become once somebody has gone and committed a crime in broad daylight. Most days, bureaucracy travels with the speed and enthusiasm of a turtle pulling a wagonload of bricks uphill, yet on Monday afternoon in Fernley, it moved like a