Good old days

125 years ago

May 20, 1887

On Tuesday evening last, about 8 o’clock, Jack Boyd and John Bergen, a couple of rivermen, became involved in a drunken quarrel in front of Cole’s saloon at Palouse City. Bergen drew a long, ugly knife, but Boyd knocked him down before he could use it. A half hour after the fracas, Boyd started for camp. Bergen sprang out at Smith’s livery stable and stabbed him in the abdomen, disemboweling him in a frightful manner.

Watchman Callison arrested the murderer and found the deadly weapon, covered with the blood of his victim. The murdered man was conscious for about a quarter of an hour. Bergen is about 26 years of age, the victim was about 50. Boyd, from Canada, was buried Wednesday. Bergen and a brother came from Stillwater, Minn., last spring. Bergen was brought to Colfax and the county jail Thursday. Doolittle & Pritchard and C.S. Voorhees have been retained for the defense.

Thursday morning, Jailer Webster gave one of the prisoners held for horse stealing a job of wood sawing outside the jail yard. Taking advantage he walked off up the South Palouse and is supposed to be hiding in the brush a short distance above town. Sheriff Berry offers a reward of $50 for his capture.

Belmont was this week connected with the Palouse Gazette system of telephone lines, giving the town connection with all points south as far as Dayton.

A party crossing Coeur d’Alene reservation by team last Monday were compelled by the Indians to pay toll amounting to $6. Chief Saltese overtook the travelers after they had left the reservation and refunded the money. The Indians were arrested.

100 years ago

May 17, 1912

Black powder placed in the cylinder of the engine of an automobile is believed responsible for an explosion causing the death of Henry J. Schireman at Endicott Wednesday. The automobile was one of a carload received by Henry Brothers the previous day. First attempt to start the machine resulted in the explosion which hurled a piece of casting through the head of Mr. Schireman. Coroner L.L. Bruning was unsure where the black powder came from.

A class of 19 young ladies and young men are about to graduate from Colfax high school and take their places in higher institutions of learning and in the business world.

A controlling interest in the Colfax State Bank has been purchased by the Union Securities Co., a corporation capitalized at $1,000,000 built up around the Old National Bank of Spokane.

Seven Garfield youngsters were arrested one day last week charged with throwing rocks and eggs at a merry-go-round which has been operating in the city. The boys plead guilty and were fined $2 each.

75 years ago

May 14, 1937

Enda Zenner, well and favorably known as Whitman County’s nurse, tendered her resignation and announced her forthcoming marriage to Lloyd W. Squires, popular and efficient county auditor.

First Savings & Trust completed arrangements by which the bank will become a unit or a branch of the Seattle-First National bank and a member of the Spokane & Eastern division of the Seattle institution.

Three Palouse boys were brought from Spokane Sunday as suspects in the theft of about 15 sacks of wheat which were stored by the Wallace Grain & Pea company in the Lawrence warehouse at Ringo.

50 years ago

May 10, 1962

Earl Smith of Thornton received a phone call from his brother, Dan P. Murphy, at Harlowtown, Mont., who he hadn’t heard from for 48 years. They were separated when real young children.

Supt. Howard Moses, Principal Glenn Powell and Vocational Ag Instructor Werner Schubothe were all offered contracts for another year at a turbulent meeting of the Colfax school directors Friday night. The board’s action climaxed and apparently put to rest for a time a bitter 10-day controversy between the board, the administrators and the ag instructor.

Crop damage resulted from a sudden storm which dumped up to an inch of hail stones on central Whitman County Tuesday afternoon. Damage was limited mainly to spring-seeded peas which were washed out on many farms.

25 years ago

May 14, 1987

Teacher assignments have been made for the Endicott and St. John districts cooperative schools, set to get underway in September. The equivalent of two teachers will go from Endicott to St. John for the high school program. Louise Braun, 19-year English teacher at Endicott, will take over full time at St. John. Jim Carney will teach part-time science and math at each district and Lucinda Parsons will teach Spanish at both schools.

Saturday was roundup day at Bob Curtis’ farm on Clear Creek. Approximately 140 cattle were rounded up, branded and vaccinated. The calves were done the old-fashion way with horses, ropes and fire-heated branding irons.

Colfax Community Band will begin rehearsals Saturday in the Colfax High School band room to prepare for Concrete River Days in July.

Colfax city council approved purchase of a solar blanket for the city’s swimming pool to cut operating costs.

10 years ago

May 16, 2002

Elevator workers around the county are putting in long hours of hard, dusty work bagging and loading lentils for relief in Afghanistan. Government purchases for lentils as of March 19 was 66,490 metric tons, an increase of 37,540 metric tons over the same time last year.

Troopers in the Washington State Patrol Colfax detachment stopped a total of 204 motorists in emphasis patrols last weekend, WSU graduation weekend.

Tekoa Mayor Rick Squibb reported about a meeting he had with Coeur d’Alene Casino officials in regard to them using the Tekoa Airport for transport. Casino officials anticipate many flying into the area to use the new golf course and other casino facilities.