The family pictured above exudes respectability but history tells a different story. Fritz and Rosa Sperlich immigrated to America from Austria in 1882. Like many of Carlin’s immigrants, how he ended up in Carlin is unknown. He and his wife, Rosa G. Sperlich, had three children, Rosa A., Oscar (on the right), and Maxmillian. Oscar was born in 1895 but died in 1902.
The 1900 Census identified Mr. Sperlich’s occupation as that of a Barber. Mr. Sperlich died in 1908. Mrs. Sperlich had no problem doing what was necessary to support her family. Mrs. Sperlich’s occupation in the 1910 Census was that of a drugstore merchant. Her familiarity with drugs led to her being fined for selling drugs illegally in 1912. The Elko Daily Independent reported that “Mrs. Sperlich had been selling morphine and cocaine to drug fiends in violation of law and that one of the fiends had come to the county hospital with the drugs and boasted that he could get all the dope he wanted at Carlin”.
Meanwhile, young Max at 15 years of age was finding his own trouble. The barkeeper at the Railroad Hotel was charged with selling whiskey to Max. Max insisted that he drank the whiskey that was left by men at the bar when the barkeeper was not looking. The barkeeper was acquitted. Unfortunately, the Elko Daily Independent had this to say about Max, “[t]the boy struck the writer as being on the down grade with an ambition to be a hoodlum. A good dose of slipper administered with a strong heavy hand might bring him to his senses.”
In 1918, Mrs. Sperlich clashed swords with prominent Carlin resident, Mr. J.W. Puett. The Elko Indpendent reported the following events:
“The war has reached Carlin. J.W. Puett, prominent Carlin man, owner of the Carlin townsite and much other property in the railroad city, is in dutch. Puett lost his equilibrium, his temper or his mental poise yesterday when he called Mrs. R. Sperlich, also a prominent Carlin citizen, a pro-German, and Mrs. Sperlich walked right over to the justice court and had Mr. Puett officially and uncompromisinely pinched. The charge preferred against him was disturbing the peace and Puett is today facing a jury of twelve men in Judge Bielar’s court, and conducting his own defense.”
The end of the story resulted in Mr. Puett being convicted. The newspaper reported that his “bitter words passed between” him and Mrs. Sperlich on Main Street were probably the result of his recent loss to Mrs. Sperlich in the school election.
But, the Sperlich family really got going during Prohibition. In November of 1921, “[o]ver $1,000 worth of new auto tires and cigarettes were found in the cellar of a house belonging to Mrs. R.G. Sperlich”. Eight gallons of moonshine whiskey were also found. The tires and cigarettes were apparently stolen property. Of course, no one would confess ownership of the items and no arrests were made. Interestly, that same year, Mrs. Sperlich’s daughter, Rosa, was married to the supervisor of police in Elko, Mr. David Dotta. Interestingly, David and Rosa divorced in 1927 but remarried in 1932. David Dotta became mayor of Elko in 1929 and served as Mayor until 1955. Some of his most well-known moments were captured with Honorary Mayor Bing Crosby. David and Rosa remained married until Rosa’s death. They had no children.
In 1923, the Nevada State Journal announced the opening of a new building in Carlin. The occasion was marked with a “monster” dance. The building was identified as the Sperlich building. It was described as a two-story brick building measuring approximately 25 x 100 feet. It was located next to the Overland Hotel. The newspaper reported that the lower level would have a cigar and tobacco establishment run by an Elko businessman and that the upper floor would be a rooming house run by Mrs. R.G. Sperlich.
And the good times continued, Max was arrested for stealing coal in 1926 and in 1928 he opened one of Carlin’s most well-known watering holes, The City Club. Of course, in 1930, it was raided and Max was arrested when “a small quantity of whiskey was found”.
In 1930, Mrs. Rosa Sperlich passed away. Her estate was administered by David Dotta. There seems to have been some dispute within the family over certain matters as Mrs. Sperlich’s daughter and Dotta’s wife, Rosa A. Sperlich, was forced to sue the estate because she foreclosed upon a piece of property owned by her mother and she was owed money by the estate as a result. The District Court decided in favor of Rosa but Dotta appealed the case to the Supreme Court. The appeal was dropped upon agreement of both parties.
In 1937, Max leased the City Club and it would continue to be leased to various parties until it was sold by Max’s second wife, Marion, in 1969 shortly after Max’s death.
Max himself married Mrs. Louise Archibald at the home of Mayor and Mrs. Dave Dotta in 1939. Both stated on their marriage license that they had been previously married and divorced, Max in 1931 and Louise in 1938. It must not have worked out because Max married Marion Douglas in 1941.
One of the most well-known stories that is told about Carlin’s bars is from World War II. It is said that due to the bars habit of providing beer to the troop trains as they passed through Carlin, the War Department and City required all bars to close when a troop train passed through town. As the train approached, a whistle would be blown and the bars would have to lock their doors.