Good old days - Jan. 7, 2010

125 years ago

January 9, 1885

Talking to Mr. M. Fettis, one of the pioneers in this country, on the subject of deep snow falls in the previous years, he says that in 1865-6 the snow was deeper than now. He was then engaged in staging from Lewiston, and in many cases had to shovel the snow to make a road for his teams.

At a meeting of the council on Wednesday evening, the mayor and clerk were instructed to order a Silsby heater for the fire engine. When it arrives the engine will be in better condition for immediate action.

A scheme is on foot of getting up a public discussion on the liquor question – high license v. prohibition. It will come off sometime next week.

Everybody can afford to take an occasional wash now. The price of baths has been reduced to twenty-five cents. No use of hauling out the old wooden wash tub and “packing” water now.

Sid Lyle has bought an interest in the Dew Drop (In) saloon with Len Heatherly.

100 years ago

January 7, 1910

Application of the Spokane & Inland Empire railway for the contract of handling the mail between Spring Valley and Moscow has been reported favorably by the second assistant postmaster general. When in force, the change will give to Oakesdale, Moscow, Palouse, Garfield and Colfax increased daily mail service.

Some very important and permanent improvements will be in course of construction at Riparia by the O.R. & N. company commencing this week. A fine union depot for the use of the O.R. & N., the Northern Pacific and the Camas Prairie railroads will be built on a triangular piece of land opposite the Stuart Hotel. The O.R. & N. is also building a depot at Hooper.

A lively fight for the Oakesdale postmastership is now on. F.W. Miller, the incumbent, is being challenged by R.L. Ragon of the Oakesdale Land Co. Both have considerable petitions circulating in their favor.

Steptoe school has purchased a new organ from the proceeds of a box supper given some time ago.

75 years ago

January 4, 1935

Louis Marmes suffered a painful accident at Hooper Christmas day. He was caught between his car and a henhouse when he cranked his motor, in gear. He was badly bruised and suffered a deep gash on the leg. He was under the care of Dr. Victor of LaCrosse for several days.

Quite an epidemic of flu and colds is prevailing at Lamont at present.

George Horning and his son, Ted, Moscow, were brought to St. Ignatius hospital Sunday with injuries suffered about 4 p.m. when their automobile was in a collision with a car driven by Roy Strong, Walla Walla, at the summit of the Central Ferry grade. Strong accounted for the accident by saying he was blinded by the sun. his car plunged into an embankment. The Horning car went through a fence and turned over in a field.

Owen Kilduff, 49, was arrested here Monday by Sheriff W.I. Dailey on a charge of vagrancy. Justice G.A. Weldon sent him to jail for 30 days.

50 years ago

January 7, 1960

Last week the auditor’s office was loaded down when they received 676 pages of chattel mortgages and one deed involved in the merger of the Pacific Northwest Pipeline Corp., Salt Lake City, with the El Paso Natural Gas Co. As a result, the auditor’s office collected $676 in filing and recording fees – the largest single payment of its type in the history of the county.

Clinton McGuire, who has left Colfax for a job in Phoenix, sold his inventory in the Phillip’s 66 station to Duane Ochs for $3,000, according to a bulk sales affidavit filed Tuesday.

George Schuster has sold his Thornton grocery store to Jack E. Eneroth for $3,500.

While pulling cattle through a loading chute at Ewartsville a timber broke hitting Phylma Story in the chest and chin causing several fractured ribs and severe bruises of the face and neck. Mrs. Wegner, who visited her Sunday, indicated that Mrs. Story is in considerable pain and she was expected to remain in the hospital over the Christmas and New Year’s holidays.

25 years ago

January 3, 1985

The coal stoker furnace at Oakesdale school chose a cold night to cease functioning last week. The old coal stoker went out Thursday night, leaving the building cold but not yet frozen up. The school board called an emergency meeting Friday and voted to suspend bidding procedure in order to deal with the situation quickly. Workmen Monday began converting the coal furnace to oil. Supt. Mel Louk said parts are no longer available for the old coal furnace.

Crews are about half-finished building the new $800,000 Whitman Convalescent Center, just below Whitman Community Hospital, having finished putting on a roof and installing windows to make the project weatherproof. Owner Roy McDonald said the center is expected to open in March.

10 years ago

January 6, 2000

County banks not only survived the change from 1999 to 2000 last week, but are doing “wonderfully” according to area bankers. Bank employees from all over the county put in extra hours preparing for the new year. They had generators handy and hard printed statements on hand Dec. 31 just in case the feared Y2K problems showed up.

A possible look at selling off vintage equipment from the Colfax Fire Department brought a delegation of present and past fire volunteers to the city council meeting Monday night. They urged the city not to sell off Wimpy, the 1921 American LaFrance pumper truck which was the department’s number-one rig when volunteers formed their present organization almost 80 years ago.

Two “No Skateboarding Allowed” signs were taken early Thursday morning from the Bank of America parking lot in Colfax. A resident spotted two youths taking the signs at 1:52 a.m. and supplied Officer Clint Gibson with the license number of the pickup truck in which they were riding. The vehicle was traced to a Garfield residence and the signs were recovered.