BULLETIN PRESIDENT TREASURER EDITOR John Bachochin Loren Moore Mike Prero 15731 S. 4210 Rd., POB 1181 12659 Eckard Way Claremore, OK 74017 Roseville, CA 95678 Auburn,CA 95603 918-342-0710 916-783-6822 530-906-4705
No. 406 Dues due April 1st November 2018
by Mike Prero
Diamond Qualities!....
The gems of the hobby! Although, to tell you the truth, I can‘t really explain why. There are certainly types that are older; there are certainly types that are rarer; there are certainly types that are prettier and have nicer art work...So, why are these so heralded in our hobby? Well...because...they‘re Diamond Quali- ties!
They were produced by Diamond Match Company from 1925-1938 and they all carry the distinctive and magical footer... DIAMOND QUALITY
As the covers shown here typify, most the art work on most DQ‘s consisted of stock cuts, not the best of its time but well above what we see on at least the smaller old companies, such as Jersey, Manhattan, Chicago, and the like. A lot of the strikers haven‘t held up on these 80+year old covers, though.
They come in both the regular lengths and the taller ver- sions (Tall, or XL). Both the late collectors Bob Oliver and Win Lang did a dating of the different types of DQs. Oliver identified 21 types, while Lang identified 20, and their re- spective dates don‘t always match. Both state that DQ pro- duction ended in 1935, however I‘ve seen a DQ dated 1938.
There are currently 4,175 listed, a far cry from the late Harry Branchaud‘s 5,000, which I personally viewed in the 1980s.
[covers shown here are courtesy of Loren Moore, CA] No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 2
No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 3
The Blackout Bar [Here’s one for those of you who like early Casino covers]
Bill Harrah came to Reno in 1937, and from that date to 1943 he ran several different bingo parlors. In 1943, he opened a little joint called the Blackout Bar, which was his first venture that had slots and table games. It was located at 230 1/2 North Virginia Sts and also had a rear entrance at 231 Lincoln Alley. The joint was so named because of the blackouts brought on by World War II. It was at the Blackout that Harrah hired his first entertainment - Jack McCarg, known professionally as "Jackson," who appeared there several times. He said in later years that Jackson brought thousands of customers to the Blackout Bar. He never forgot this because when he opened Harrah's Tahoe he included a large section of the casino as the South Shore Room, where he headlined all of the best performers in the country.
In 1946, Harrah lost his lease and that ended the short life of the Blackout Bar. Anything from the Blackout has become highly collectible because of its short life and because it was Harrah's first real taste of any type of gambling other than bingo. [Thanks to Jim Rauzy, CA, for this info. Jim also has several pieces of memorabilia from the bar, some shown here.]
Ed. Jim also shows us, here, that you really have to do your research when dealing with early Casinos.
I wonder how many such covers I’ve let slip through my hands due to sheer ignorance! No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 4
Linda Darnell
Linda Darnell, was born Monetta Eloyse Darnell, in Dallas, Texas on October 16, 1923. She was one of five children of a post office worker and his wife. A Texas-born beauty, her mother encouraged her to model. By 1934, she was modeling clothes for an area department store. Sometimes officials would think that she was 15 or 16 because she really didn't look her age. Neither Linda nor her mother discouraged their thinking. By the time Linda was 13, she was appearing with local theater companies and her talent was already becoming apparent. There was no doubt that Linda had a rare gift for someone so young. When the Hollywood moguls sent scouts to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, her mother thought it would be a good idea to give Linda a shot at a try-out. The talent scouts took one look at her and her acting abilities and arranged for a screen test. She made the trek to Hollywood and when her true age was discovered she was sent home.
After two years , Linda returned to California and her career was off and running. Her debut was in 1939 in A Hotel For Women. She was all of 16 at the time and became the youngest leading lady in Hollywood history. Her next film was that same year in Day-Time Wife. Her third film was Star Dust, made in 1940, and Linda immediately rose to the heights of stardom. Other quality films followed. In 1941 she appeared in Blood and Sand and Rise and Shine. In 1945, she was in Hangover Square. The movie proved to be a box-office bonanza. The following year, Linda appeared in Centennial Summer.
Later that same year, she co-starred with Henry Fonda and Victor Mature in My darling Clementine. It was another hit. She reached the height of her career when she played opposite Cornell Wilde in 1947's Forever Amber. In 1952, she starred in Blackbeard The Pirate. Her final appearance was in 1965's Black Spurs.
She was married and divorced three times. Husbands were: J. Peverell Marley f(1944-1952), Phillip Liebmann (1954- 1955), and Merle Roy Robertson (1957-1962). On April 10, 1965, Linda died of burns she suffered in the house fire of her former secretary. Ironically, she had been watching Star Dust on television, which was one of the films that set her career in motion. She had filmed a total of 46 movies. Often described as the "girl with the perfect face", Linda died at the age of 41. [courtesy of http://www. geocities .com /Hollywood/ Hills/2440/ index-a.html] [Cover pic courtesy of John Qualters, PA] No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 5
THE AGE-OLD TOPIC OF READER
INPUT Editorial [Reprised from 2003]
A definition of a hobby might be that it‘s an ancillary activity especially loved by an individual who is willing to spend long hours and much effort in its pursuit. Well, that being the case, one would think that there would be few things easier in this world than penning a few lines every once and awhile and sending in said contributions to your editors for inclusion in your various hobby publications. Right?
WRONG? Hobby editors have been screaming since the inception of the hobby, itself, over 60 years ago, that getting bulletin input from readers is worse than pulling teeth!...And, in fact, in most cases it simply can‘t be done. As an editor, one can beg, plead, cajole, threaten, shame...it normally does no good at all. Usually, at best, the result is simply polite excuses as to why it‘s not going to happen. At worst, there‘s simply that deafening silence from the vast silent majority...and, boy, are they silent!
What‘s the problem? Are readers just INHERENTLY EVIL, attempting to thwart the Editor‘s angelic goal of producing a good, interesting bulletin?—Well, perhaps...a few...(I could name a couple, come to think of it! hee hee). But, the majority, I suspect, are good-hearted souls who just can‘t find the time or inclination to do so.
For a significant number, I believe, the problem may simply be a lack of confidence when it comes to writing. On initial examination, I‘d have to admit, it would appear a fairly daunting prospect to have to lay your thoughts out in front of any audience at all, but to additionally do that in the form of writing, where your thoughts are not only open to scrutiny, but your vocabulary, mechanics, and syntax are, as well, would make that prospect even more unattractive for some people [although certainly not for those of us who are opinionated, verbose, and extroverted!—That’s why we become editors, after all!]
The problem of lacking confidence to write is the same as that involved in being wary of public speaking—and the solution to both is the same...success brings confidence...so you try your hand, perhaps in a small way at first, and test the waters. A letter to the Ed., a small article, etc., just to see what happens. And, when you see that no one is going to pounce on you and take your head off, and that your peers are actually interested in what you have to say, your confidence builds. One thing leads to another, and pretty soon you‘re not only writing larger, more in-depth offerings, but you‘re writing letters to the editor of your local newspaper and attending city council meetings. The next thing you know, you‘re on the local school board...then you‘ve been elected mayor. You successfully run for state assemblyman...then governor...and one day, there you are, comfortably ensconced in the Oval Office!....and all because you took the time and the effort to make a small contribution to your hobby bulletin.
Do it for yourself! Do it for your country!
Contribute to your bulletin today!
God bless America! No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 6
An American Tour: 130
San Francisco’s hungry i
The hungry i was a famous nightclub in San Francisco, originally located in the North Beach neighbor- hood. It played a major role in the history of stand-up comedy in the US.
The hungry i was founded in 1949 or 1950 as an 83-seat venue in the Sentinel Building's basement by Eric Nord, who sold it to Enrico Banducci in in 1951. After operating it as a venue for folk singers, in- cluding Stan Wilson, Banducci began hiring comedians in 1953 with Mort Sahl, encouraging them to ex- press themselves freely. Their success caused queues around the block, until Banducci moved the hungry i to the nearby International Hotel on Jackson Street in 1954.
The hungry i and Banducci were instrumental in the careers of actor/comic Ronnie Schell, comic Bill Cosby, comic Lenny Bruce, and minister Malcolm Boyd. Musically, The Kingston Trio recorded two noted albums at the hungry i, including the first live performance of their version of "The Lion Sleeps To- night". Tom Lehrer's final satirical album That Was the Year That Was (1965) was also recorded there, as well as The Limeliters' album Our Men in San Francisco (1963).
Jazz pianist Vince Guaraldi, folk singer Glenn Yarborough, the Gateway Sing- ers, and comedians Godfrey Cambridge, Professor Irwin Corey, Joan Rivers and Mort Sahl were also given career boosts from their appearances at the hungry i, as well as Dick Cavett and Woody Allen. The folk-rock group We Five were signed to A&M records after Herb Alpert saw them perform there. John Phillips and his group The Journeymen were the house band in the early '60s. Phillips would later achieve fame with The Mamas & the Papas. The young Barbra Streisand begged Banducci for a single night at his nightclub, insisting that she would soon be a huge star. Banducci agreed. The resulting concerts (March–April 1963) were well-attended, giving Streisand nationwide acclaim.
The comedy and folk music scene wilted in the mid-1960s. In 1967, Banducci closed the club and moved it to Ghirardelli Square as mainly a rock music venue, and closed in 1970. Banducci and many of the club's performers, including Mort Sahl, Jonathan Winters, Professor Irwin Corey, Jackie Vernon, and many others, reunited in 1981 for a one-night performance, which also featured film of the late Lenny Bruce. Maya Angelou had frequently performed there in the guise of a Carib- bean singer at the beginning of her career. [https:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hungry_i] No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 7
There are eight million stories in my albums. This is one of them...
Gracing the corner of West Main and South Church streets in downtown Grass Valley since 1917, the Bret Harte Inn celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. From ghosts to hidden staircases, the old hotel's unique past and quirky elements keep history alive in Nevada County.
Named after the famous poet and author, the Bret Harte Retirement Inn, as its now known, is home to retirees, but according to some residents and employees, they are not the only ones occupying the old building, particularly its basement. "I believe it's haunted," said owner Patti Collins. "I have employees who will get in the elevator, and when the door opens, they will not get out. They feel this vibe."
Collins said the basement is the oldest part of the Bret Harte. The site began as The City Hotel in the 1850s. While the building was destroyed twice by fire, areas of the basement remained unharmed. This space now houses the residents' storage lockers. According to Collins, some residents and employees have spotted the ghosts and are afraid to enter the basement to access the lockers. Residents say the most common ghosts they've encountered are a group of children, who reportedly reside one side of the building, but have assured Collins the ghosts that haunt the Bret Harte are friendly.
Haunted or not, the Bret Harte Retirement Inn charms visitors with its cozy lobby, a buzzing social hub for residents, decorated with vintage furniture, paying homage to its hotel days. Following construction, the hotel provided many attractions for visitors: dances on the spacious dance floor (now the dining room), the flourishing rose garden (replaced by the parking lot), and tea on the verandah.
The hotel became the favored vacation spot for tourists from San Francisco visiting Grass Valley for the weekend. The Bret Harte was also a desirable location for social events, some of which were attended by esteemed guests like President Herbert Hoover. The Bret Harte was also a meeting place for gold-mining tycoons from the 1920s into '40s and for the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce. In 1984, the building was remodeled and a fifth floor added. In the same year, the building was transformed into a retirement home.
Despite many changes the building has undergone, one thing remains the same — the historic 1907 "Water Nymphs" painting still hangs in the Bret Harte. When examined closer, the painting displays two small mended bullet holes from the days it graced a wall in the hotel's Nugget Bar.
Some remnants of the building's past remain in clear sight, like the painting, but some are hidden. Behind a large panel in the kitchen sits a mysterious stairwell that Collins believes may have been used by the hotel servants. The staircase curves, making it impossible to see where it leads. As of yet, Collins said, no brave soul from the current staff has climbed the staircase. But she said she is determined to solve the mystery. [Mia Belluomini, Special to The Union, September 29, 2017] No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 8 Monarch Match Co. (1946-1966)
For a company that was only around for 20 years, Monarch produced quite a few covers...or, perhaps it‘s just that I‘m a California collector and, this being a California company, I run into them more than the typical collector elsewhere in the country. In any event, Monarch, while never in the same class as Universal, Diamond, and Lion, did manage to leave its mark on the industry and the hobby, here and there.
It actually didn‘t disappear completely in 1966. It merged with Superior Match Co. (post-1966 covers carried a ―Monarch/Superior‖ manumark); in 1967, Brown Co. (parent company of Superior) was taken over by Gulf & Western Industries, Inc. In 1979, Gulf & Western sold Brown Co. to James River Corp. of VA. Today, both Monarch and Superior are long gone.
The company‘s production center was in San Jose, CA (that‘s just south of San Francisco). The factory closed its doors forever in 1980.
Monarch trademarks that I know of included: “Granada‖ (Cameo-type, 1972), ―Orleans‖ (Filigree-type, 1972), “Camera Color‖ (color-photo type,1972), ―Jumbo King‖ (240-strike, ?). I don‘t think I‘ve actually seen any of those trademark names on covers, except, perhaps the ―Camera Color,‖ and I wouldn‘t swear to that.
I don‘t know anyone who collects ―Monarch‖ covers, as such, but there are a lot of sets from this manufacturer, including Hillbillies.
No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 9 Ads Latest details and Pre- Recently, for example, Registration form at the RMS AMCAL 2019 has been
web site > Convention Central! cancelled, Long Beach MC‘s DATE YOUR COVERS! The annual October swapfest was Manumark Dating Guide will cancelled last month, and RMS give you a range of years for Did You Know? has discontinued its RMS Area specific manumarks. 132 pp. Award plaques (except for $15. Mike Prero, rmsed@ Back issues of the Sierra- swapfests). matchpro.org Diablo Bulletin are posted on
our web site, going all the way But, is the sky really falling? back to 1984. Any member in Coming Up good standing (...and we don‘t No. It must remembered that have any members who aren‘t!) SOUTHERN SWAPFEST this has always been a very may contact the Ed. for the 2019: March 19-23. Holiday Inn small hobby. Even at its peak, password. Hotel and Suites - Busch when there were 4,000 collectors
Gardens, Tampa, FL 33612, in the official hobby, that was (813) 971-7690. Rates are the only app. .0001% of the then same as 2018: Single: $89.00, E population. Single Deluxe: $99.00, and D Exec. Suite: $109, includes free I If one peruses earlier hobby hot breakfast. Make your T literature, one can see references reservations early. FMI: Bill O to our hobby has the second Hayes at 727-470-9148 or R largest hobby in the United largomatch@hotmail. com, or I States, but that included all the Frank Denzler at 352-360-0769 A non-collectors who casually kept or [email protected]. L a brandy snifter on the coffee table full of matchbooks from TRANS CANADA SWAP- Hobby Down; places visited on vacation. FEST 2019: May 2 – 4, 2019, Collecting Up Radisson Hotel Kitchener It could be argued, in fact, that
Waterloo,2960 King Street East the 1940s-1980s era had created The hobby continues to Kitchener, ON N2A 1A9 (519) an ‗artificial bubble‘ in the downsize in numbers, a trend 894-9500 (800) 333-3333. Much hobby. That was the high point that first appeared in the late more information will follow. of smoking in this country. 1980s, corresponding to the anti Movie stars such as Bogie and -smoking campaigns and the UES 2019: June 11-17, 2019, Bacall held cigarettes while collapse of the domestic match Ramada Plaza Hotel, 1718 going through their snappy lines; industry (i.e., Ohio Match Underpass Way, Hagerstown, tobacco companies had millions Company closed in 1987; MD 21740 (301-797-2500). of people humming along to Universal‘s last plant closed in Freebee tables, dealers, auctions, their latest jingles; and doctors, 1988). displays, bingo, awards banquet, themselves, happily puffed their free chicken & pizza on Friday. way through the day. More disturbing to me is the
downsizing in services, such as 2019 RMS CONVENTION: Now, all that is gone...and, fewer clubs, smaller and less August 18-24, 2019, Holiday Inn along with it, the bubble has frequent bulletins, and fewer get Cleveland/Strongs- ville,15471 burst in the hobby. -togethers Royalton Road, Strongsville,
OH. 44136 (440 238-8800). Add to that, the other ways in No. 406 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-November 2018 Page 10
open. Fancies...and there are a lot to be Happy Birthday! had! They might even become
Thus, for example, my trading historic oddities, given the Kamm, M...... 11-2 partners have dwindled from a increasingly secular bent in this Alley, Oscar...... 11-4 flood to a trickle, but the country. Cherney, Louis...... 11-5 number of covers crossing my Fawcett, Scott...... 11-5 desk has increased tenfold. I have over 8,000 in my Cuncliffe, Chuck...... 11-10 collections and am always on the Milas, Lee...... 11-23 So, while the hobby continues lookout for more...and I always Ginrich, Don...... 11-24 to adjust to the current changed have plenty to trade! Barnard, Denise...... 11-25 circumstances, collecting, itself, Thompson, Rich...... 11-30 is looking up. Lewis, Greg...... 12-1 Burnell, Dennis...... 12-5 Ready, Duane...... 12-6 Christmas Is COMING Brennan, Richard...... 12-7 Coming! UP Rauzy, Jim...... 12-9 Balin, Barry...... 12-13 With Christmas right around Stevenson, Dave...... 12-14 the corner, why not start Dec: “Santa Claus” Valachovic, Tom...... 12-17 thinking about starting a Burton, Charles...... 12-29 Christmas collection? Most are Jan: “Shades!” Clark, John...... 12-29 very appealing beautiful Feb: “Presidents” Replace with advertising text which our culture has radically November’s Smile SIERRA-DIABLO...we’re changed, most notably the ever the hottest club in the increasing faster pace of life and hobby! Company Name the introduction of all these
‗can‘t-live-without‘ electronic gadgets [as I happily type away on my computer], and it‘s hardly The Sierra-Diablo Bulletin is a surprising that the hobby isn‘t publication of the Sierra-Diablo attracting the numbers of Matchcover Club. Deadline for all collectors that it once did. submissions is 2 weeks before the issue month. Any information
But, while things don‘t look so herein may be reproduced with appropriate credit line. Dues of $5 well for the hobby right now, (e-bulletin); or $10 hard copy things look spectacular for the (individual), $15 (family), $15 individual collector. Collector (Canada/Mexico) or $20 (outside N. America) are payable to the numbers are down, but the number of covers out there are Sierra-Diablo Matchcover Club, c/ o Loren Moore, POB 1181, still the same. That means less Roseville, CA 95678 competition (the ebay world not withstanding), while, at the same Visit the Sierra-Diablo Web Site at: http://www.matchcover.org/ time, all those electronic gadgets (i.e., internet, e-mail, etc.) have Sierra. You can reach the Ed. on line at [email protected] for provided a much wider net to help with Bulletin/hobby cast to bring those heretofore questions, concerns or problems. ‗hidden‘ covers out into the