The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-14
Business Men of Once Gay and Prosperous City Fighting
to Have Nevada Legislature Restore the Six
Months Law and Wide Open Conditions

poker wasn't dragged, limp ana wet,
from the Trucl7ee River. where he had
ended despair with suicide.
Gambling was wide open in those
days and stakes were high Wealthy
divorce seekers. not a few among them
women, sat around gaming tables be-
eide rough miners and uncouth sheep
men, all with the same burning lust
for gain Of gold. To-day there IL no
gambling in Nevada openly, but there
Is plenty OF opportunity for the man
who feels he must risk n gold piece
or two at poker. The saloons and
legitimate clubs see TO that.
Now several interests are f1ghtinu
for the repeal OF the law in the new
Legislature. They have tho support
OF many men with money. and they're
going about II very. very carefully,
70 that there may be no chance for
a slip. Much depends, they believe,
on the attitude OF Gov. Boyle, who
took office January /. and pressure 10
being brought to bear on him to help
in the fight TO put Reno back into tho
worlds whirl again.
Even under existing circumstances
divorce seekers who go 10 Reno arc
not finding things as tedious as they
expected. Under the new law there
is nothing to prevent one from renting
apartments and then going back home
or TO San Francisco, Just a hop away,
provided one has the means for that
mode Of living. Spending two or three
months in the city Will suffice.
When Reno first became famous "a
headquarters OF easy divorce wealthy
folk fiocked there by hundreds. rented
bungalows or hotel suites. spent a few
weeks and many dollars letting every
body know they were in town and
then hurried of TO more entertaining
things elsewhere. II got so that there
was scarcely a handful OF Divorces
In the city, Things were too dull.
There was nobody 10 spend money and
there was nobody for the natives 20
admire. Something had to be done.
II was done in the form OF the
passage OF what came TO be known as
the time lock" law, which provided
that divorce seeker who left Reno
in the six months residence period
would bo compelled 20 make up the
length Of absence before a decree was
granted. That had the desired effect,
for II there's anything a divorcee
wants quickly It's a decree.
Those who had fitted about the
country settled down TO live in Reno
which SOON became place of rapid
fire living ana entertainment. Things
blossom,d and hloomod. Merchants,
lawyers, doctors dentists, garage own
crs, 'liverymcn, theatre owners and
hotel and restaurant proprlctors be-
gan to store away money IN cart
loads. Hardly strange, then, that thcy
should have been sorry 10 SEQ II all 20
when the timo came.
Other Industries suffered severely
with the passing OF tho old order. One
Of these was monopOlizod by man
who made his living by ferrcttng ont
prominent persons who hoped 70 get
away with decree IN secret and
sending their names 10 New York
newspaper He freuuentcd tho. res
taurants ana clubs, or such OF those
as allowed him admission, and by
housekeeping got a word ar two
which he always turned into money.
This ferret was not newspaper
man, Though none ever pinned him
down with facts, Il was known he
made much by blackmail lie could
always be reached when there was
money enough in sight, and many
person Of prominence kept n wen
known name out Of the Eastern papers
hy liheraily rr"aslnR Mr. Ranks palm.
Reno's SIX months divorce law was
adopted in the early COS, hut the quick
separation Industry didn't come into