Good old days - May 20, 2010

125 years ago, May 22, 1885

Report of a sensation, scandal, hurried flight and pursuit reaches us from Farmington. A young man of the town and an indiscreet maiden were discovered to be on too intimate terms for respectability, and relations sought to quiet the matter by bringing about a marriage. The young man refused to consent to this and skipped between two days. Relatives of the girl are in pursuit and if they overtake the fugitive we are liable to have a tragedy to chronicle.

Colfax has four barber shops, and the delightful pastime of waiting your turn is a thing of the past.

Gov. James is putting in a small system of water works in the south end, and will supply a few families with clear, cold water from his excellent spring. He will use several hundred feet of the celebrated continuous concrete pipe, and persons likely to need an economical piping should watch his experiment closely. It is claimed that this is the cheapest and best pipe made, costing about three cents per foot.

There is said to have been discovered a kind of tobacco which, when smoked or chewed, will make a man forget that he owes a dollar in the world. Some of our subscribers have been using it wildly.

100 years ago, May 20, 1910

Domestic science has been added to the curriculum of the Colfax high school. Miss Josephine McCann, a graduate of the W.S.C. who taught the subject for two years at the Olympia High School, has been chosen head of the department.

W.A. Nelson drove into town last Friday in a brand new 48-horsepower, 6-cylinder automobile, which he purchased in Walla Walla. The machine is of the Winton manufacture and is a five-passenger car.

The petition to pave Cedar street from the north end to the county road and also Oak street south to the county road was referred to the street committee, as was the petition to build a sidewalk and bridge on James Street.

Emil Smith, L. Sutherland, M.J. Rumbaugh and J. Wiggles of Endicott took in the ball game here Sunday.

75 years ago, May 24, 1935

Pitching has been the big question mark of the Colfax team all season. Management feels now they have the problem solved with the signing of H.W. Sonju. The righthander gives the club four capable hurlers. Sonju arrived from Seattle, where he pitched for the Telphone company team in the Fast City League. Players working out with him all week feel he has the stuff to stay ahead of Rosalia Sunday. Lefty Snyder will try to tame the Colfax sluggers for the second place Rosalia squad.

Ted DeMoss, six weeks out of the reform school, was arrested at Tekoa Thursday last on a superior court charge of second degree burglary for stealing chickens from the farm of Louie Hall near Pullman.

Henry Schierman won first sweepstakes and Virgil T. McCroskey second at the spring flower show at the community building Saturday, sponsored by the civic improvement committee of the Athenaeum club and Chamber of Commerce.

Two local boys were fined in police court Monday for speeding and reckless driving on city streets. More arrests will follow, says Night Marshal Bill Baker, unless the practice is stopped.

50 years ago, May 19, 1960

Racing fever is mounting for the 1960 meeting at the Colfax track, which is scheduled to open Saturday. One hundred seven stall applications have been drawn for the 141 spaces.

Farmington Garden Club held a potluck dinner in the Methodist church basement. This was a no-host meeting for the regular members. This potluck dinner took the place of a trip to the woods which was planned but cancelled due to weather.

Endicott’s seventh grade took their annual field trip to Coulee Dam. The tour through the dam was most interesting, and several hiked across the dam and saw the Roosevelt monument and other points of interest.

25 years ago, May 23, 1985

La Crosse and Endicott school districts, at a joint school board meeting tonight will discuss a proposed cooperative program between the two districts. First step will be to survey residents in the La Crosse and Endicott districts to determine interest in exploring the program.

Forty-two Colfax High student accounting packets, used in the CHS business classes, were taken from the school to the Green Hollow road north of Colfax and burned by a student over the weekend. Principal Bob Weir said the school will seek restitution for the total cost of the packets, $249.

The McGregor bowling team – Adena Schierman, Lo Ann Sunwald, Debbie Schlomer, Lois Barry and Judy Bennett – spent the weekend in Puyallup and Auburn where they participated in the Washington State Women’s bowling tournament.

Colfax City Court heard six cases involving leash law violations over the past month with others pending.

10 years ago, May 18, 2000

With a vision of providing a “stepping stone” for small business, the port of Whitman County has made an offer of $120.000 for the former Elks building in downtown Colfax.

A Colfax fire engine was dispatched to St. Ignatius Manor Saturday morning after the automatic alarm sounded at the station board. Fire crews learned the alarm system had been accidentally activated when a resident used insect spray in a room.