Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-04-12


these exotic flowers; on those same afternoons
the hotel porters are busy piling into taxis the
long-Since packed baggage OF ladies and gen.
tlemen who have sworn, a few hours earlier
that they came to Reno intending to reside
there"
RenOites, who are by no means above poking
fun at themselves, have a number of humorous
stories about the courthouse and adjacent build
ings, which are handed down from one three
month generation to the next and with which
local story-teers love to pull the legs of inquir-
ing journalists. The visitor is Solemnly in
formed that in the days when it took six months
to get divorce in Nevada, at the end of every
month a lawyer would lead his fair client to
one OF the six massive pillars in front of the
courthouse, and the Soon-to-be -emancipated
lady would solem1y kiss the stone in honor OF
one month Of sentence served. Thusacustom, it
appeared, left pink hpstick grow over the
p4,iars which had to be removed regularly and
at great cost. There Is also the tale that jubi-
liant wives, when the final decree is granted,
repair 70 the bridge which crosses the tuTbu-
Slent iTruckee River and throw their wedding
rings into its waters.
THAT these stories are obvious fabricatsons
need not disturb . searcher for the pic
tureSque; Reno has so many undeniable reah~
ties TO offer which are just as piquant. The
city is full Of highlights and contrasts; 1t is
80 new and its stage so small, that its peculiar
characteristics stand out like the leading actors
in comic opera. One can almost imagine
some super producer sitting down and deliber-
ately planning the place, throwing IN humoF,
pathos, brutality, beauty, naivete, greed and
tenderness; like . bartender striving for the
perfect cocktail.
The bronzed and alkah-leathered cattlemen,
for rugged masculinity; for pathos, the defeated
but still hopeful proSpectors, eteTnally thinking
to re-discover the lost riches Of the nearby
IL
Basque sheep herders who gather at the In
dart" to eat and sit around Of an evening sing
ing honnesick songs: to this mixture add an oc-
casional Indian with heaven knows what
thoughts behind his impassive features; add q
host Of alert business men who believe that
catering to divorce is just as legitimate an IN
dustry as any other, and finally flavor the
whole with thousand sophisticated men and
women who are Just pulling out Of one emo
uonal mix-up and are as ready for another IS
gunpowder Is for q match. This is Reno.
Local humOrists IN the town have . pet
conundrum: What Is the favorite occupation
IN Reno? Answer: Going down to the station
TO see the tied come In and the united go out
I do not believe that joke was ever thought
up by an nhabitant Of the little city. Reno
10 regarded as place where marriages are
broken with greater ease, dispatch and privacy
than anywhere else In the United States: but
this not mean that those who 60 there are done
with marriage Is an Institution. On the con-
trary, they seem to have 1t on their minds more
constantly than the inhabitants Of any other
town in the United States-Niagara Fails Of
course, excepted. Many break the knot In Reno
in order TO tie 1t again Immediately, and even
those who do not 90 there With that purpose
in mind achieve 1t. The visitor Is told that
practically every lawyer In Reno-and there are
500 per cent more Of them IN the town than
would normally thrive IN any other city Of the
same size-is married to former client, and
that most Of the principal business men Of the
place have taken over contracts to rehabilitate
once broken hearts.
MORE than this: Reno encourages hasty
marriages just Is impartially as she assists
hasty divorces. Many young couples come 70
her from California IL miles away because
she does not chill their ardors with her neigh