Good old days - Dec. 9, 2010

125 years ago, Dec. 11, 1885

Between 11 and 12 last Monday night the attention of Marshal Harris was attracted by loud talking in front of the Pantheon Saloon. Repairing to the scene he came upon a party of three or four men, one of whom was relating the story of his exploits, the burden of which was that he was a bad man and had caused the police in different cities to hunt their holes. The appearance of the marshal seemed to have a soothing effect upon the fellow who was, apparently, nearing the meridian of intoxication. After a few words with the guardian of the peace, the man, named George Taylor, consented to go to bed.

In pursuance of this determination he started down the street, accompanied, but when the turning point was reached he concluded that Main Street was good enough for him and took the back track. In the hope of inducing him to retire quietly, the marshal also retraced his steps, remonstrating the while. Ere they had traversed half a block it became apparent that Taylor meant mischeif and the marshal employed strategy to obtain possession of a pistol he carried.

Succeeding in this he placed the man under arrest, when a struggle ensued. Fearing the prisoner might have other weapons in his possession, help was called, but the man broke away before he could be searched. The marshal followed, and scouring him, started for the jail, summoning Scott Harris to aid him.

When near the jail another struggle ensued, the marshal and his prisoner rolling from the sidewalk to the ground, the former on top. In his position, Taylor commenced stabbing the marshal with an ordinary sized pocket knife, cutting several gashes in his heavy overcoat and finally drawing the instrument across the left side of his head, cutting a gash about four inches long, and nearly severing the upper portion of his ear.

The warm blood spurted out and the mashal realized for the first time that his prisoner had a weapon, believing that he had been searched when help was called for that purpose, when in fact he broke and ran when it was accomplished. The intense darkness which prevailed rendered it impossible to see what was going on and the marshal could not protect himself.

Turning the prisoner, who was now disarmed, over to his brother, the marshal, with blood streaming from his wound, walked up town and after sending aid to the scene, called in the services of a physician.

On Tuesday, Taylor was bound over in the sum of $1,000, in default of which he languishes in durance vile. Marshal Harris’ wound is not serious, and, unless something unforeseen happens, he will come up smiling in due time.

100 years ago, Dec. 9, 1910

A.Z. Bowen, a coal operator of Seattle, last week took an option on 53 per cent of the stock of the Palouse River Coal and Development company, subject to the result of development work which will be done at the expense of Mr. Bowen and his associates. The plan is to drill five holes on different leases held by the company, sinking 600 feet in each case. A 14-foot vein of coal and indications of oil were discovered in the drilling of a well on the Bishop farm in the spring of 1909.

Colfax Commercial club will meet this afternoon for further consideration of the proposition of A. McRae to establish a factory here for the manufacture of the McRae harvesters. He offered to locate his factory here if Colfax people would subscribe $10,000 of the stock.

Mrs. Chet Morley was hostess last Monday evening at a shower party given in honor of Mrs. Fay Dickey, who is one of the latest of the Colfax brides. Numerous and costly presents were showered upon the young bride and at a later hour a sumptuous repast was served.

75 years ago, Dec. 16, 1935

With overhead electric lights in Christmas colors and varied hues shining from a number of the fir trees on the lamp posts, Colfax is more than gaily decorated for the holidays than in any past season. A chamber of commerce committee arranged for the diagonal overhead installation of electrically lighted streamers at Spring and Main streets, from the intersection point of which hangs a brilliantly lighted star. On the trees attached to the lamp pillars at the four corners are strings of colored lights.

Shots from a rifle and the crashing of window glass from the butt of the weapon aroused residents of Hooper early Sunday morning and a call to the sheriff’s office here by M.J. McGregor resulted in the arrest of E.L. Jackson, 33. Jackson is said by officers to have been on one glorious spree and shot holes through a bunkhouse window, the bullets lodging in the head post and in the mattress of a bunk in which a man was sleeping, missing him by six inches. Jackson ended his promiscuous firing by breaking his gun to pieces.

Twenty-eight flood control workers were engaged Wednesday in straightening the North Palouse river channel west of the Great Northern’s covered trestle and two trucks were moving dirt and gravel to the fill at the north end of Schmuck park athletic field. If the WPA project is not held up by high water, the park board plans to fill between the roadway at the entrance to the park proper and the river for added automobile parking space.

50 years ago, Dec. 8, 1960

Palouse High School this week voted to change the name of their team from the Palouse “Farmers” to the “Falcons.”

The first of 720 carloads of pipe for the 1,400-mile natural gas pipeline project from Alberta to California has arrived at Winona. Two cars of 42-inch casing pipe arrived Satuday and will be stored on 30 acres of leased property near the station.

Chauncey Kenedy, lower Palouse river farmer, suffered losses estimated at $6,000 to $7,000 from a fire which destroyed his machine shop and granary Monday morning. Rural fire trucks from Colfax and Steptoe answered the alarm, but the building was a mass of flames by the time equipment arrived.

Lacking the services of the Pied Piper and his flute, Colfax sanitarian Roy McDonald said he will use a poison, highly concentrated warfarin to rid the city’s basements of rats.

25 years ago, Dec. 12, 1985

Rosalia was emptied over the weekend as Spartan fans boarded a charter bus and took many family cars to Seattle to watch the Rosalia Spartans play Coulee-Hartline-Mansfield for the state football championship in the Kingdome.

Michelle Nelson, senior at Colfax High and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Don Nelson, was crowned Washington State Wheat Queen Monday evening at the state Wheat Growers convention in Spokane.

10 years ago, Dec. 7, 2000

Competitive rail rates and an upgrade of equipment has allowed Ritzville Warehouse Co. to begin shipping grain on unit trains from elevators at LaCrosse. After spending $200,000 to $300,000 upgrading the LaCrosse elevator this summer, the company has loaded its first unit train of 25 cars of grain.

The former Rose Bowl bowling alley in Rosalia will be put on the auction Friday in a foreclosure sale conducted by county Treasurer Robert Lothspeich.

Auditor David Repp’s request for an additional $40,000 to cover the cost of this year’s election was denied by county commissioners. The board voted to pay a portion for wages of poll workers from their budget.

Deptuies Monday received a report from a Hooper resident who said meat had been stolen from their freezer.