Good old days 6/9/11

125 years ago - June 11, 1886

The body of a child about 1 1/2 years old was found in the Snake River near Wawawaii by Indians on Saturday last. The body had evidently been in the water several days and was in such condition as to require immediate burial, which was done on the south side of the river, near J.S. Davis’ place.

On Thursday last, J.W. Arrasmith of this county and Rev. W.R. Lloyd were crossing the railroad track on the Weston road, some two miles below Walla Walla when an engine hauling a train of cars, suddenly rounded a point within forty feet of them and gave two toots of its whistle. Mr. Lloyd applied the whip to his horses, but too late. The cow-catcher struck the rear end of the wagon and threw it from the track, badly wrecked. The men had a narrow escape, but fortunately with just a few slight bruises.

While working at his anvil in the Amos’ blacksmith shop Saturday last, A.J. Bickford had the misfortune to be struck in the left eye by a piece of steel chipped from a red hot bar. Thinking it was nothing serious, he continued to work but was soon compelled to desist and has since been in the hands of physicians.

The Clionian ice cream and strawberry festival in the academy building Tuesday evening was largely attended and a very pleasant affair.

Jack Dempsey, who is on the high road to pugilistic renown, arrived at Portland Monday last, accompanied by his trainer. This undoubtedly accounts for the democratic victory in Oregon. Go home, Jack.

100 years ago - June 9, 1911

Four buildings were destroyed by fire on California street in Garfield at 1 o’clock Monday morning, causing a loss of $10,000. The origin of the blaze is not known. Two of the buildings were practically destroyed before the alarm was turned in and it was only by the most effective work that the fire department saved the city a much greater loss.

W.T. Shirrell of Glenwood was kicked by a horse Monday and brought to St. Ignatius hospital with his skull badly shattered. Several pieces of bone were taken out.

Miss Belle Patrick and Mrs. Walton, members of the Walton College Entertainers who gave an excellent performance in Colfax Monday night, spent the week at Glendale Farm at Pleasant Valley. They went to the old Joe Delong place on the Palouse River Tuesday. Almost first thing, Miss Patrick hauled out of the stream a big salmon trout that turned the scales at four pounds - largest so far this season to our notice.

Fred Fowler, a prominent farmer of Hay, says that within a radius of four miles of Hay there is planted 2,000 acres of corn.

75 years ago - June 5, 1936

A million-dollar rain came this week to the aid of the county’s wheat crop, which, at best, will be under normal according to local grain dealers.

City Engineer M.J. Hanley submitted to the council Monday an estimate of $228.50 as the cost of a 70-foot sewer line crossing in the location where it will be crossed by the new state highway cut-off from here to Rebel flat.

A cash outlay of approximately $8,000 has been made at Schmuck park, but the value of improvements made since the beginning of the WPA project run into higher figures.

50 years ago - June 8, 1961

Power was cut off in three sections of Colfax, wind ripped limbs from shade trees and more than half an inch of rain fell during a 90-minute storm Tuesday night.

Leonard Riedner of the Colfax weather bureau reported that Tuesday brought the heaviest rainfall of the year with an additional .05 inches which fell during the afternoon. The mercury had climbed to 80 degrees during the day but dropped to 43 by Wednesday.

The glorious problem of what to do with too many horses faced Colfax race track officials this week as Saturday’s and Sunday’s races neared at Mockonema Downs.

By the first of the week the stalls were already full, reported Ernie Robillard, reservations chairman, as officials scurried to find auxiliary barn space. Stall requests totaled 300; usual number of horses here is 100 to 150.

Robillard attributed the increased entries here to the increased entries at other tracks- more horses running on the same number of tracks.

25 years ago - June 5, 1986

Coach Scott Knight and his Rosalia baseball team rolled back into town Saturday night after bagging the state B baseball crown with a 12-7 win over the DeSales Irish. It was the first championship trophy ever for the Spartans who came close earlier this year with a second in the football finals at the Kingdome.

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints turned a little earth last Thursday in a ceremony to mark the start of the new church on Almota Road.

A special water line which was installed across the Palouse River last year to supply the Colfax Golf Course so far has failed to function as expected and the golf course is again suffering irrigation problems.

10 years ago - June 7, 2001

A Friday arraignment has been set for the driver of a Chevrolet Blazer who was arrested after a four-vehicle accident took the lives of three young adults on the Moscow-Pullman Highway Monday night. The driver, Frederick D. Russell, 22, Pullman was arrested and jailed Tuesday morning and released on $5,000 under strict conditions after a first appearance in court. Identified as deceased in the Washington State Patrol report were Brandon S. Clements, 22, driver of the Cadillac, and passengers Stacey G. Morrow and Ryan G. Sorenson, both 21.

Whitman County department heads united Monday afternoon in expressing problems they have had getting vendors paid and receiving employee expense reimbursements in a timely manner. Comments were made in a packed informational “workshop” conducted by the county commissioners in response to a suit being filed by Auditor David Repp.

About 90 people signed the guest book at the Lamont home of Ardis and Chet Swift at a graduation party for their son, Kiall. Main entree of the buffet luncheon was a 250-pound pig roasted in a 4x4x5 pit.