Good old days - June 17, 2010

125 years ago, June 19, 1885

Coming: A special (train) bearing ex-President Billings, of the Northern Pacific, and party, direct from New York, was expected to leave Palouse Junction Thursday evening at about 6 o’ clock, en route to Colfax. They will do the town and surroundings Friday, departing the same day. We are not advised of the object of their visit.

It is and even chance that there are not warehouses and granaries enough in the country to hold the growing wheat; that the railroad can’t haul it away this fall and that Portland can’t store it, are self-evident propositions. Someone build an elevator.

That fictitious “terrible massacre” item in the last number of the Coeur d’ Alene Herald indicates a dearth of news and a lack of sense that is positively painful to contemplate. Concerning the Indian question, facts are more desirable than such startling stories having no foundation.

James Steele of Portland, deputy revenue collector, passed through the city Saturday. His mission is in connection with brewery license, remittances for which from this entire region have failed to reach Portland, in consequence of which many have been running without license. Investigations thus far indicate that the money disappeared between Walla Walla and Portland.

A specimen copy of a circular letter designed for horse thieves has been handed in to this office. It has been headed with representation of skull and crossbones; Then follow a line for a name, ‘105’ in large, black figures, and a plain statement that if the party receiving it is not out of the country in 3 days, he will find difficulty in getting his feet to the ground. We are grieved to learn that the journal is suspected, and suggest to the “105” committee that there must be some mistake.

Timbers for the Torrance Bridge, ten miles down the Palouse, are being furnished by Sexton & Codd, this city. They were delivered this week and work on the bridge will be commenced as soon as the water subsides.

100 years ago, June 17, 1910

Wednesday, Colfax day at the Elberton picnic, was celebrated in great style when Colfax defeated Winona in the first game of the tournament. It was one of the longest games in the history of baseball in this section, going 17 innings before the winning run was made. The final score was 5 to 4 in favor of Colfax. Marsh for Colfax struck out 22 men.

Deputy Sheriff Cole arrested W.A. Craig at Canyon Tuesday on a charge of stealing two horses from Alec Smith, a well-known rancher of Canyou. Craig claims he found the horses on the range and was returning them to their owner, but it was learned that he offered them for sale at Colton, claiming they were racehorses. He was arraigned Wednesday in Justice Doulittle’s court and was bound over to the superior court on $1,000 bond.

The State Experiment Station has demonstrated that red clover can be grown successfully in the Palouse country: In 1903, a small piece was seeded on a gentle south slope. The following year this yielded three and 1/2 tons per acre. In the year 1907, a field of 12 acres was sown with clover seed secured from 32 different sources. The seed, in many instances, was poor, so that a stand on a portion of the field was incomplete on account of the poor seed. The yield the next season for the entire field was 2.35 tons per acre. For that part of the field where the stand was complete, the yield was over 3 tons per acre.

In the year 1908, this yielded 3.9 tons of cured hay per acre.

75 years ago, June 21, 1935

The cost of the new steel service station to be built at N307 Main Street by the Union Oil Company is estimated at $7,000, according to the building permit granted by the council to Mrs. Imogene Hunt, owner of the property.

William Thomas, bootblack and bank janitor at Pullman, is scheduled to appear before Judge R.L. McCrosky in superior court Friday morning to receive a sentence for carrying a concealed weapon, the bullets and butt of which, the state contended inflicted injuries upon Lawrence White, Colfax, and Ralph Dunning, Pullman, in a street fight in Pullman last April 14th.

In his trial, which ended on a verdict of guilty on the one count late last Friday morning, the jury was not convinced with Thomas’ story as repeated on the witness stand by Art Ricketts, Pullman police chief, that he had possessed himself the revolver with the intention of going out to hunt gophers. State testimony disclosed that the cylinders contained 7 shots and that the hour Thomas had proposed to shoot squirrels was late in the afternoon.

W.I. Dailey, Whitman County sheriff, Mrs. Dailey and daughters, Faye and Elsie, left Sunday for Olympia, where Mr. Dailey will serve on the newly created full-time state board of prison terms and paroles with offices in the insurance building on Capitol hill. Mr. Dailey stated that the family planned to return here for household goods if a suitable home is found.

50 years ago, June 16, 1960

Excavation is getting underway for the first private swimming pool in Colfax.

The pool is being built by Rodney Russell in his backyard at 901 Meadow at an estimated cost of $1,800.

Russell said that plans call for a diving board, filtering system and a gas heater. There will also be underwater lighting. The pool itself will measure 18 by 36 feet. Under the diving board it will be 8 feet and will slope up to 4 feet in the shallow end.

Observational study will be continued on the stripe rust which has attacked Whitman County fields, according to County Agent Felix Entenmann. Other Eastern Washington counties are also reporting the presence of the rust, he said.

Some fields show a 50% loss of foliage, but winter wheat is so far along that losses should be slight. Heaviest infection is in fields near Colfax and Dusty. Varieties showing the most infection are Omar, Burt, Itana, Columbia Winter and Baart spring wheat.

Bleachers for the new high school gymnasium and kitchen equipment for the cafeteria have been ordered but other “needs” of the new school-including paving of parking space- will probably remain unfilled until next year, Chairman E. A. Hachsprung of the school board said today.

25 years ago, June 20, 1985

Searchers Tuesday were unsuccessful in their attempt to find the body of a Dayton man who is presumed drowned after leaping off a ledge beside Palouse Falls Sunday afternoon. A second man, who also leaped an estimated 186 feet off the falls ledge, was rescued by helicopter Sunday and taken to St. Mary’s Hospital in Walla Walla.

Acting Sheriff Dalton Lewey said a diving group from the Tri-Cities, Whitman and Franklin County lawmen and a helicopter piloted by Bill Loomis of Lind joined in the search for the missing man Tuesday. He said Loomis would continue to fly along the Palouse Falls canyon this week in search of the body.

Steptoe’s leaning round barn went out in style at the former George Hall place.

The barn was pulled June 1st and its remains were burned a week later.

Larry Zimmerman, the present owner, said the leaning barn had reached a point where it was a hazard.

The barn was among 12 round barns left in the state according to research done by Tom Bartuska, WSU professor of architecture.

Whitman County’s round barn supply is now down to two, one on the old Moscow-Pullman highway south of Pullman and the DeChenne barn on highway 23 between St. John and Ewan.

The Steptoe barn’s exit followed one at the E.T. Hall ranch in 1972.

Both were constructed by H.L. Weld Co., Spokane.

George Hall contracted his barn in 1918.

The barn had stalls for 16 animals.

Roy Hall, George’s son, said his dad was semi-retired when the barn was constructed and used it to house “a few” milk cows.

10 years ago, June 15, 2000

Colfax police late June 6th apprehended seven people, between the ages 15-20, who were throwing water balloons from vehicles in the downtown area. At least two vehicles were involved and balloons were thrown between the vehicles, Chief Barney Buckley said. They were also activating pedestrian walk signals. Participants were told to cease the balloon fight and go home.

Timely rains have helped small grain crops in Washington, bringing increases in crop forecasts compared to 1999. The Washington winter wheat yield estimate based June 1 conditions is set at 69 bushels per acre, showing a 2 bushel increase from the May 1 estimate of 67 bushels per acre.

A tighter policy on city dog control laws was urged at the June 5 City Council session by Paul Cocking of Colfax. Cocking pointed out Spokane had just passed a “scoop it up” law for pets with a $25 fine and urged the city to pass the same law.

City Attorney Gary Libey pointed out Colfax does have laws which require residents to keep dogs on a leash and pick up their leavings. The Colfax law, however, lacks a clause which requires dog walkers to carry a scoop and a bag.

Councilwoman Shannon Hall said from her viewpoint city police are enforcing dog complaints because she was contacted when her dog was reported for a violation.