Good old days - Feb. 3, 2011

125 years ago, February 5, 1886

On Monday last, a man named Totten, who resides near Steptoe, attempted to hurl a heavy iron poker at a cat that was annoying him. He had been quite ill for some time and his strength failed him, causing him to miss his aim, and the point of the poker struck his son, a boy about ten years old who was lying on the floor a short distance away, just over the right eye. A physician was at once called, who dressed the wound as well as possible, taking out a portion of the brain and fragments of the skull.

Last night, several residents from the suburbs came rushing through Main Street Farmington with the impression there was a huge fire near the Pioneer Hotel. Upon arrival they found the illumination was caused by a new style tubular street lamp, being the first in town.

Chinese new year was ushered in Tuesday evening by exploding firecrackers.

Colfax ‘86 Social Club will hereafter issue invitations to all their parties, and neither lady nor gent will be admitted unless cards are presented at the door.

100 years ago, February 3, 1911

Colfax will soon have a new brick church building. This was decided at the quarterly conference of the Methodist Church held here Saturday, the members being enthusiastic in favor of erecting a new edifice.

Posters are out, by direction of Mayor Weinberg, giving notice that the ordinance against spitting on sidewalks and in public hallways will be strictly enforced. The ordinance is in the interest of public health.

Work on the Milwaukee tunnel near Rosalia is progressing rapidly. The tunnel has been wired and the entire hill as well is lighted up by means of large arc lamps and polished reflectors. Two donkey engines and 20 cars are being employed to transport the dirt from the hill to the nearby trestle, which is being filled in.

Hen James, a chicken thief, is the latest addition to the boarders at the Hotel de Carter. The man with the suggestive given name came from the classic regions of Malden and is registered for 30 days.

Marshal Dailey gave notice to all saloons Wednesday that all partitions must be removed, as ordered by Mayor Weinberg.

75 years ago, January 31, 1936

All slot machines, punchboards, dice pin ball and marble games vanished from Colfax business establishments this week as Chief of Police Tom Benton and Sheriff Carson J. Walker announced the opening of a vigorous campaign for elimination of the devices. The campaign was ordered throughout the state by Gov. Clarence D. Martin.

The addition of more than 400 new books to the Colfax library during the past year has brought the number of volumes to nearly 9,000.

Substitution of a series of standard “achievement tests” for the state examinations now used in the seventh and eighth grades of Whitman County schools was discussed by members of the county board of school superintendents in a meeting Saturday at the courthouse.

A short change trio composed of two men and a girl invaded town Tuesday evening and attempted to work their fast-talking game in a number of business establishments, but are said to have failed in their efforts. Police and the sheriff’s office warned surrounding towns.

50 years ago, February 2, 1961

Colfax area bowlers contributed nearly $175 to the March of Dimes last week with individual donations made through league organizations. Each league was on its own and individuals contributed 75 cents to $1 during regular competition.

Rosalia-Malden-Pine City Trapshooters team maintained their perfect score of 300 despite snowy weather to stand at the head of the 42nd Inland Empire Telephonic trapshoot in the third of the 10-week contest.

Nearly 800 boys in the Mt. Steptoe Boy Scout district will observe the 51st anniversary of scouting next week.

25 years ago, January 30, 1986

Garfield ambulance will no longer transport patients over Dry Creek Road, the route to Whitman Community Hospital and is turning, instead, toward Pullman, according to King Rockhill, chair of Garfield Hospital District. The new policy was devised to provide a smoother ride for trauma patients.

“Teachers’ choice” will play an important role in assignment of staff for the Palouse-Garfield five-year cooperative school pilot program due to get underway next year. Faculty in both schools will be moved to cover the combo high school at Palouse and the combo middle school at Garfield.

A suggestion by Whitman County that farmers be allowed to remove five former Milwaukee railroad bridges for salvage value from the county section of the John Wayne trail was nixed Monday. Department of Natural Resources officials, owner of the trail, pointed out to county commissioners that state property cannot “be given away.”

10 years ago, February 1, 2001

A display of mammoth bones from a fall excavation of a county road cut in the southwest corner of the county will be at the Whitman County Library for four weeks. The display will be organized by Larry Slate of Colfax who spotted one of the bones protruding from the road bank on the way to Little Goose Dam.

Colfax police early Thursday discovered graffiti which had been painted on the wall of the restroom building at Hamilton Park. The painting included the word “cool.”