In the register of the Washoe Club, organized in 1875, are the name of
Thomas A. Edison, Fred. Grant (son of General Grant), and many other
famous names.

[Illustration: Donner Lake]

I have been informed of a new discovery in connection with the native
plant, the sage-brush. I am told there are splendid prospects for the
development of potash and denatured alcohol from the huge sagebrush
fields of the state.

The principal business of Reno consists of banks, hotels, shops and
restaurants. The shops do the city credit; they are up-to-date and
well kept, and you will find almost every kind of shop. The electrical
stores display every new electrical device on the market. The
stationery shops are equally well equipped; the candy stores most
tempting and excellent in every way, and the music store, hardware,
drug, corsetiere, gents furnishing, shoe, fancy goods and department
stores, the hair dressing parlors and florist shops are all up-to-date
and as fine as you could find in any city twice Reno's size. The
grocery stores and butcher shops and markets are of the finest. These
places employ hundreds of people and the department stores send their
buyers to New York and Paris.

Reno has two daily papers, namely, the "Evening Gazette" and the
"Nevada Journal." The "Nevada Journal" belongs to the Associated Press
and has its private telegraph wires by which it receives the news
direct.

The hotels and apartment houses are always well filled. They are up-