Good old days - Sept. 2, 2010

125 years ago, Sept. 4, 1885

A team belonging to Rev. J.W. Bluett, hitched to a wagon load of hay, upon which Mrs. Bluett sat alone, her husband having dismounted, took fright last Saturday near the slaughter house north of town and ran away, the lady being unable to check them.

They soon overtook the Gazette’s telephone construction wagon, in which were Gov. James Harold Doolittle, Heman Chapman, and two others and attempted to pass it on the narrow grade.

The result was a collision and both outfits tumbled over the bank, luckily into the dense brush which lines the creek at this point, or serious results would undoubtedly have followed.

With the exception of Doolittle, the occupants of the construction wagon anticipated the collision and jumped.

The shock sent Harold flying through the air, but he alighted right side up with care and uninjured.

Mrs. Bluett was thrown headforemost into the brush, escaping with a sprained wrist.

But for the brush, Heman Chapman might have been seriously injured, being imprisoned for a time beneath one of the wagons.

It was a lucky escape for all concerned, no great damage resulting.

100 years ago, Sept. 2, 1910

“Doctor” Seeds was arrested in Spokane Wednesday by Sheriff Carter on a warrant issued by Justice N.B. Welton of Tekoa charging Seeds with obtaining money under false pretenses. Seeds purported to be traveling salesman for the Soap Lake Folding Bath Co., and would collect $10, the price of installing the bath, while his victims waited in vain for delivery of the hot-air bath. He is supposed to have worked all of the principal towns in the Palouse country. Seeds was released on $500 bonds to appear in Tekoa for trial September 6.

75 years ago, Sept. 6, 1935

Pal, mascot of the fire department for four years, lost his life Tuesday morning when caught under the wheels of the truck as it turned in behind the Whitman Hotel on the way to a grass fire behind the Busse Apartments.

The city and Chamber of Commerce are going together on the cost of providing electric light for the airport, which can be done now at a minimum of expense while a power line is being extended to farmers in that vicinity by Mockonema Power & Light. Cost is estimated at $170.

County commissioners have gone to the limit allowed by law in posting notice of a $500 reward for the arrest and conviction of any or all persons engaged in the robbery of the Bank of Rosalia and the murder of Marshal Bert Lemley.

50 years ago, Sept. 1, 1960

They’re not planning a tobacco auction in Steptoe, yet… but if 14-year-old Kirk Suess plants a little larger crop next year, maybe Steptoe could become the tobacco capital of the Pacific Northwest. Kirk is nursing to maturity seven of the eight plants he put out last spring, but it looks like the frost may beat him to it. At any rate, he expects to have some dried tobacco leaves on exhibit at the Palouse Empire Fair next week.

25 years ago, Sept. 5, 1985

An effort by the department of social and health services to bring day care sitters into compliance with state regulations has left an estimated 42 children in Colfax without babysitters during work hours. Parents will meet at Washington Mutual Bank Sept. 12 at 8 p.m. to discuss the “babysitting crisis.” From a list of 126 day care centers throughout the county, only 53 were currently licensed. Many licenses from the original list had simply lapsed, leaving day care workers out of compliance.

10 years ago, August 31, 2000

Stung by the Seattle City Council’s call for removal of Snake River dams, Colfax Councilman Harold Herman offered up a counter resolution which would call for Seattle officials to immediately initiate removal of the Ballard Locks, which are a key to Seattle’s inland lake traffic, and Ross Dam, which supplies a portion of hydro power to Seattle.