Good Old Days

125 years ago

September 30, 1887

On Tuesday, a three-year-old stallion owned by R. Richardson on the South Palouse near town jumped into an adjoining field where there was another stallion belonging to R.K. Landsdale. Then began the battle, which was continued until Richardson’s stallion lay dead on the field. A lady who saw the animals fighting reported the matter as soon as the men came home, but they found only the victim of the unequal fight dead.

The Or.&N. Co.’s safe at the depot was blown open with powder or some other explosive sometime Tuesday night and $2,000 taken.

The match race for $100 between Owsley’s mare, Evelena of Stoley’s stables, and the sorrel horse Antelope, of the Baldwin stables, one-eighth of a mile, came off at the fair ground Saturday afternoon. The sorrel was entirely too lively for the mare and won by several lengths under a strong pull.

C.B. Hopkins will extend a wire to the fair ground and have a telephone instrument at the fair. No messages will be delivered, but the price of a conversation will be reduced to 25 cents.

Drunken Indians went into the house of Mrs. Bateman of Huntsville and drove the family out and took possession. Mr. B. was away. What we want now is a shotgun that works and chloroform.

100 years ago

September 27, 1912

Fire started in the store room of the Carmin & Logan furniture store in some unknown manner at La Crosse at 7 o’clock Wednesday evening and totally knocked out the C.E. Hoover building occupied by Carmin & Logan with a large stock of hardware, furniture and implements valued at several thousand dollars. The harness shop owned and conducted by A. B. Elliot with a lodging house on the second floor was also destroyed. John Barger also lost his meat market in the flames.

County Superintendent J.O. Mattoon is sending out copies of the rules and regulations of the state board of health, which forbid the use of the common drinking cup, among other things. The common drinking cup has been abolished in many schools of Whitman County, but now must be out by October 1.

Beginning Oct. 1, Washington Water Power company will exchange all burnt-out Edison carbon and Gem lamps when the glass is not broken. The free renewals apply only to meter customers.

Out at the Burrell orchards at Diamond, apple packing began this week with about 40 people engaged in the work. They are now packing from 600 to 700 boxes daily.

The machine owned by Coston Brothers of Willada was destroyed by a fire following a smut explosion Friday. They will not purchase a new machine this year.

Wesley Brown and his wife, Winnie Brown, were arraigned in superior court Friday morning on the charge of having murdered the young woman’s father. Being without funds, the Browns could not hire an attorney for their defense.

Attorney J.T. Brown was appointed by the court to defend them. Both plead not guilty. A trial for both has been set for Monday, Oct. 14.

75 years ago

September 24, 1937

Electric service to the towns of St. john, Ewan, Sunset, Steptoe and Thornton began flowing over a new line Sunday, marking the completion of a branch of the Diamond-St. John extension of Washington Water Power. The line had been under construction for about three months by four crews of 50 and 75 men.

Sometime Saturday night approximately $30 in cash was taken from the six registers in Fonk’s Five-Cent to a Dollar store. Wilbert Johnson, manager, stated he believed the thief or thieves hid on the second floor, used by Moore’s furniture, and after closing used the hand elevators to gain access to the basement, from where they went up the stairs into the store.

Damages to which the city council agreed he was entitled were paid Monday evening to M.M. Crumbaker, dairyman, for rock which was left on the right-of-way of a road running through his pasture to the sewage disposal plant. The city paid Mr. Crumbaker $100 in lieu of going to the expense of removing the rock.

50 years ago

September 27, 1962

Deaths resulting from accidents Friday morning and Sunday afternoon pushed the highway accident toll for Whitman County to a record-breaking 13 since Jan. 1.

Firemen enjoyed a steak dinner and trimmings at St. John by the Washington Water Power Co. Wednesday in return for the work firemen had done in saving a number of poles for the company from a grass fire.

The “Spacemobile” sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, will appear at Endicott High School. The traveling contraption is a compact and specially designed bus which carries equipment for space science experiments. Included are models of launch vehicles, satellites and space probes, electronic equipment and other special devices for demonstration.

Whitman County property owners will have to dig up an extra $179,224 in property taxes next year because the state tax commission feels Whitman County property valuations are too low in comparison to actual value.

25 years ago

September 24, 1987

Garfield/Palouse school boards tightened academic eligibility rules for participants in athletics and other extracurricular activities. Students must have at least a D average grade point the previous quarter to participate in sports, music, FFA or other activities.

Uniontown American Legion Post 214 will host the Seventh District fall conference Friday with a dedication of the new Colton Veterans Memorial the highlight.

A Whitman County jury awarded approximately $73,000 damages to the widow and estate of Dale McBride, victim of an electrocution in March of 1986 at the Messersmith Wrecking Co. along Union Flat Creek north of Dusty.

10 years ago

September 26, 2002

Eunice Coker of Colfax, who trailed by 105 votes last Tuesday after the primary vote count for the county auditor’s race, moved into a six-vote lead over Kirk Suess of Steptoe when outstanding ballots were tabulated Tuesday.

Officers last Wednesday searched a car near Eells Park after arresting a Spokane woman who is suspected of participating in an escape plan. The search turned up a .22 pistol which officers contend the woman planned to pass to her boyfriend in the Whitman County jail. He reportedly planned to take a jail staffer hostage with the gun and make an escape.

One of the top priorities of the newly re-organized Garfield Chamber of Commerce will be to locate a new proprietor for the grocery store. A source of funding for the venture has been located for someone who would like to operate a mom and pop style business at the store.