Where I Stand — Mike O’Callaghan: Learning from McCloskey

Saturday, Oct. 21, 2000 | 2:55 a.m.

Mike O'Callaghan is the Las Vegas Sun executive editor.

WHEN COMING to Nevada as a schoolteacher more than 44 years ago, I was required to take a course in Nevada Constitution and History. The history of the Silver State was especially interesting, and during the next four decades I watched it grow and continue to unfold. There are several good books that poke into and look around the corners of the state's history. Also there have been some outstanding recorders of history and many of the younger ones, like Las Vegan Michael Green, have continued this high quality work.

When I get curious about something that happens today, I often call Boulder City's Ralph Denton to learn the historical cause and relationship to the incident. Few residents of Clark County have the broad background experiences and recall ability of Denton. His knowledge is especially meaningful because his sense of humor allows him to relate history in an interesting manner. He would be a popular history professor.

Last week the dean of Nevada social, political and economic history passed away. Jack McCloskey, starting 40 years ago, gave me some of my most interesting history lessons. The longtime owner and publisher of Hawthorne's Mineral County Independent-News delivered these lectures in his home, newspaper office, Joe's tavern and the backroom of Felix's store. Don't let me forget to mention that his popular front-page column "Jasper" was my weekly lesson. From time to time we shared these columns with our Sun editorial page readers.

Jack was a lifelong Republican born 89 years ago in Goldfield. I always said he became a Republican because Dad was a Democrat. Jack showed that independent streak from the time he was delivering newspapers in Tonopah at the age of 11. He moved to Hawthorne at the age of 18 and became an editor-reporter for the Hawthorne News. During the Great Depression he had the courage to borrow $200 and start the Mineral County Independent-News.

Jack, like most Nevadans, took time out to become a soldier during World War II. The late Denver Dickerson served in the army with him and told me how sergeants and young lieutenants were Jack's favorite targets. For example, Jack would eagerly point out that gold is more valuable than silver. Then he would ask, "why does a second lieutenant have a gold bar and a first lieutenant have a silver bar?" Later he would wonder aloud why a major had a gold leaf and a lieutenant colonel had a silver leaf.

When he returned to running his newspaper he didn't leave these probing, prying and needling practices in the army. Several decades of officeholders and office seekers learned to expect this same treatment. Senators, governors, Cabinet members and White House staff all were treated equally with the local assemblyman, county commissioner and sheriff.

Little went on in Washington or the world that didn't get Jack's attention. He had the skill to relate what happened in other places to how it affected Nevada and Hawthorne. Woe be unto those politicians who tried to give him a snow job or were arrogant in their treatment of his readers. Jack, always smiling, could take the hide off an officeholder one minute and then go out of his way to help a poor person or child.

It was only 38 years ago that one of my favorite colleagues in juvenile work, Nancy Williams, and her husband, Jesse, were denied motel accommodations in Hawthorne. I had made reservations for them, but when they arrived, the El Capitan clerk refused them. Because they were black they were turned away. I called Jack and told him of the problem. He took care of the couple and openly challenged his newspaper's biggest advertiser that night and again the following week.

A couple of years ago, in his "Jasper" column, Jack took a close look at our election laws and gave several recommendations. Allow me to extract a couple paragraphs from that column:

"Another dangerous factor in declaring a candidate a winner at the primary election is when he or she defeats an incumbent officeholder who does not have to relinquish the office until the following January. We have experienced that a few times in Mineral County when incumbents were defeated in their own party primary and made it miserable for the taxpayers for three months."

Jack went on to point out that an early primary victory in neighboring California could delay taking office for six months:

"We don't know in how many counties but the liveliest story we have seen is from Yuba County where the 350-pound sheriff was defeated by a former deputy, the first woman sheriff in state history. She won 53.9 percent of the vote cast in the June primary but has been ordered by the defeated sheriff to keep away from the department until she takes office in January.

"We don't know how much street talk the lady sheriff-elect learned while she was working her way up to sergeant but we're sure she will restrain herself when communicating with her former boss. At least for another four months, or more. It's the law, you know."

Yeah, Jack McCloskey had it all, including a sense of humor and a willingness to share his personal gifts with all who knew him.