J. Holman Buck the fighting Editor of Mina

     Joseph Holman Buck was born March 27 1866 at Fort Madison Iowa – Died May 23,1928 of Tuberculosis at the age of 62 in San Fernando California.

     He was the editor of Western Nevada Minor Newspaper in Mina Nevada, Nevada Copper News, Fairplay Prospector , Rawhide Rustler and more.

He was known as the fighting Editor, so much so that he shot and killed Francis Burton at noon in Mina on December 10,1907. Burton pulled a gun on Buck with an attempt to assault Buck and Buck shot him with a cut off shot gun in the head and killed him instantly. It was all over an article that Buck published in the Rawhide Rustler. Burton was seeking revenge and made many threats to Buck. Buck turned himself in to the authorities. Burton was a lawyer who did more wrong than good. Buck went to trial and was exonerated but not easily. He generally was a well-liked man; however, he wrote articles about social and political ways that the mainstream did not always agree with. Which sometimes would get him in trouble. He had no problem roasting other newspapers or Politian’s. He supported more liberal views of that time, like women’s suffrage movement. He was most certainly opiniated and said so publicly.

      He married Minnie Alzo Cowart against her fathers wishes. They had a daughter Lorena Amelia and sons named Evert and Joseph. Joseph had a twin sister that died at birth. Sadly, his wife died leaving him with three children to raise. At that time, it was uncommon for a man to raise children by himself. So, in 1903 he put his three children by themselves on a train to Kanas City to his sister with a note written stating that the children will be picked up by their aunt and please take care of them. Nine years later he introduced Lorena his daughter as his new assistant to the Western Nevada Minor Newspaper in Mina Nevada. She was newly relocated from Kanas City. Her brothers came shortly after and worked as prospectors in the area. Buck never remarried and was happy to have his children with him.

         In contrast to his newspaper image, he was a very loving father and grandfather. Unfortunately, his oldest son Everett died in 1918 in the world war. However, his youngest son did survive the war and returned home and married and had a child.

         J Holman Buck was responsible for bringing the military base to Hawthorne Nevada. He was the one that suggested it to officials and worked to support the idea. If he had not done that Hawthorne would not have had a military base. 

References:

Sue Silver: Mineral County Nevada Volume 2

Western Nevada Newspaper January 27 1927