On June 3, 1874, Sylvester Daniels arrived in Reno, Nevada by train from Iowa. It was his first stop on his way to tour Northeastern California. He was not impressed. Daniels wrote:
“Lots of drinking of all kinds of drinks. I have not seen anyone drunk enough to stagger, yet it is only eleven o’clock in the morning. They don’t know any money smaller than ten cents. Money making is all the rage here. Most every man has his pockets full of silver. It seems very strange to me, it is so different from what I have been used to.
“In this place, lodging is one place and eating is another, eat wherever you have a mind to. I took a walk this afternoon out to the west end of town. It is just sagebrush desert, but I saw some yards that is irrigated. The Truckee River runs along the south side of town. It runs very rapidly. It goes tumbling over the stones as though it was in a great hurry to go to some place right quick. The town is watered by the river.
“Saw a drunk squaw this afternoon. She was walking up the street swearing at an awful rate. A man told me they always talk in English when drunk. This is a terrible place for drinking and gambling to say the least. And I can not say any more that I have not seen any one drunk. I have come to the conclusion that the drinking men are drunk all the time, are never sober. I think it is different with the Merchants and they have nice stores here.”