Good old days - Jan. 21, 2009

125 years ago

January 23, 1885

Hon. Schuyler Colfax, who was vice president under Grant, dropped dead in a railroad depot in Minnesota on the 13th of January. Cause: heart disease. At one time Mr. Colfax was one of the most popular men in the nation, but an alleged connection with the celebrated Credit Mobilier frauds caused him to sink in popular esteem much faster than he had risen. At the time of his death he was 61 years, 9 months and 20 days old, and was engaged in lecturing. This city takes its name from Mr. Colfax.

From Conductor Goldie we learn that a man named Story was frozen to death on the Texas Ferry road last Wednesday. Story had started to foot it to Waitsburg, but was overcome and died on the road.

Carpenter work on the depot building is completed. Agent Buck will not move into his new office until it is painted and thoroughly dried.

Large numbers of cattle have gathered on the Palouse River and are in danger of starving. Dooley and Kirkman have sent men from Walla Walla to look after their cattle.

100 years ago

January 21, 1910

Substantial brick buildings are to be erected on the fire swept block of Lamont. Property owners are a unit to erect nothing but brick buildings.

Word was received that Whitman County has been awarded the gold medal for the best collective display of school work at the A-Y-P exposition. The diploma was received by County Supt. Mattoon the first of the week.

The westbound train killed five shoats and two large sows belonging to Chas. Modie of Diamond one day last week.

Editor J.D. Cowill of the Uniontown Press has purchased W.H. Oyler’s interest in the paper and thus becomes the sole owner.

75 years ago

January 18, 1935

Members of Principal H.H. Crawford’s community civics class in high school found 39 persons jaywalked in the block between Grady’s drug store and the J.C. Penney store in the hour they spent investigating public safety.

Gene Fennimore succeeded W.W. Nicley as the state game protector here. Nicley has taken a position as a deputy sheriff, and thanked sportsmen for their cooperation while he was in the position. Mr. Fennimore killed 232 coyotes from December, 1933, to May of last year as a government hunter.

Lyle Davis, managing director of the Federal Reserve bank of Spokane, told the Chamber of Commerce Wednesday noon how federal reserve banks are now permitted to make loans to commercial banks with the idea of providing capital for business concerns of moderate size.

50 years ago

January 21, 1960

For the farmer who’s “got everything” – including hay fever, asthma or allergies – Farmer Milt Silzel and son Jack of Oakesdale have developed a pressurized, air-conditioned combine cab that will give that man a “new lease on life” during harvest time. Silzel lost many a night of sleep during harvest because of his allergies, so he decided to experiment with an air-conditioned combine cab in hope of getting some relief. So successful was the experiment that he and Jack will go into custom-building of the cabs this winter.

After 50 years of continuous operation the Freshlaid Farm hatchery in Colfax is going out of business with the retirement of owner Hod Kincaid. Kincaid estimated over 10 million baby chicks were hatched at Freshlaid Farms and shipped throughout the Northwest.

After several weeks on top, influenza has taken a back seat to an outbreak of mumps on the Whitman County health department’s weekly disease report.

Forty-one Whitman County farmers have applied to put 7,088 acres of land in the 1960 conservation reserve of the soil bank, which is approximately the same amount as last year.

25 years ago

January 17, 1985

The Colfax Main street building that houses the Coast to Coast store has been sold to John Perry, Larry Zimmerman and Bob Biagi, partners in the accounting firm of Kirkpatrick, Utgaard and Perry. Barry Folsom, owner of Coast to Coast, told the Gazette Tuesday he is now looking at a move that would place the store in a spot with better parking.

The U.S. postal service is seeking a site for a new post office in Albion, Postmaster L.D. Tuthill said today. The preferred area is bounded by the north by Main Street, on the east by First Street and on the west by Front street.

LaVern More won the television set which was raffled off by the committee which is raising funds for the La Crosse Junior Miss program.

10 years ago

January 20, 2000

A jail inmate was taken to Whitman Hospital late Tuesday night for treatment of injuries sustained in a fight. The man required stitches to close a hole in the right corner of his mouth. The other inmate in the fight sustained a head bump. According to a superior court report, the second man was reading the Bible, and the first man mocked him when he turned down a request to go to the card room. The incident dissolved into a shoving match and then a full scale fight.

Malden Community Church had a new furnace installed last week. It takes up less room and is more efficient.