Good old days

125 years ago

Aug. 10, 1888

H.S. Hollingsworth, Dr. Harvey and Arthur Howe who left here some two weeks ago for the Coeur d’Alene country, in anticipation of bushels of sport and loads of game, returned Friday considerably discouraged. They report game hard to find, and after several days of hard tramping, only secured one elk. They consequently cut their stay in the mountains short. Some fine specimens of marble in white, grey and rose tints were, however, brought back.

The Whitman County Teachers institute closed its work Tuesday evening after several days of profitable discussion on matters pertaining to education and our schools in which all took a very active part. It is said to be one of the most interesting and entertaining sessions yet held. Examination of teachers for certificates commenced Wednesday morning and closed yesterday, the result of which will be made known in the next issue of the Commoner.

The basement of the new residence of F.A. Breyman is completed, the masons finishing their work yesterday. Mr. Breyman is preparing for a large and comfortable home, being built on his property on the south hill side overlooking the city. The building will be 36x44, one story high, with a ten-foot basement, the latter being built of stone. Carpenter work will commence soon.

100 years ago

Aug. 8, 1913

A narrow escape from disaster in the Bungalow theatre occurred Saturday evening during the storm that swept over Colfax.

The theatre was crowded as usual when the storm broke and the audience became uneasy as the thunder roared and the lightning flashed and the rain beat upon the roof.

It needed only a “spark to start the fire” and the spark was supplied by an unusually bright flash of lightning which came just as a strong gust of wind blew the curtain up to the ceiling.

Some excitable individual yelled “fire,” and the panic started.

The big audience arose and started for the side exit down toward the front.

There was a rush for the small exit and things looked bad for a brief interval.

Those near the entrance quietly walked out, while a number of people kept their seat.

The excitement lasted but for a few moments, when it was discovered there was no danger and some of the people returned to their seats, while others who had made their escape hurried to their homes.

The escape from a bad disaster was a narrow one and shows how easily a thoughtless person might cause many deaths by shouting fire in a crowd.

Colfax city schools will open September 15 for a term of nine months, if present plans do not miscarry. The schools will not open the first Monday in September as is the custom, for the reason that the six new rooms are not expected to be ready for occupancy by that time. Four new rooms are being added to the North Ward school and two to the west side of the departmental school building, formerly used as a high school and grade school, in the south end of town.

Last Thursday night burglars got busy in the west end of town and visited three homes.

The residence of Eugene Woodin, the popular manager of the Fair store, was entered and Mr. Woodin’s trousers were taken.

He lost a few dollars in silver, but the trousers were found outside the house the next morning.

The home of B.F. Manring was also visited.

The burglars cut down the sweet peas at a window, cut away the wire screen and pulled the curtains out, but it is not known if they gained entrance to the home.

Nothing has been missed and it is believed the burglar was frightened away.

The family was asleep upstairs.

S.M. McCroskey’s home was entered and his son, Lusker, lost a pair of trousers which were later recovered.

75 years ago

Aug. 5, 1938

Fire took double toll Saturday morning when Robert Luce, 27, Viola, Idaho, was severely burned on the Flurry Pearson farm on Union Flat near Endicott, and six acres of wheat on that farm and approximately 90 acres on the adjoining farm of Mrs. Spurgeon were destroyed. Luce, badly burned from his hips down and on his left arm, was brought to St. Ignatius Hospital. The fire started when Luce poured gasoline into a combine engine with the motor running, the exhaust causing an explosion in which his clothes were ignited. The combine, operated by Pearson who farms the Neace place, was destroyed.

The pass under the Union Pacific track one and a half miles west of Colfax was completed June 29 at a cost of $49,000.

By use of the telephone, Deputy Sheriff Ralph Waller Saturday night assisted in the search of James Kane, 12, and Winston McCracken, Pullman boys who had been missing from their homes since Saturday morning. None of the worse for a night in the woods, the lads returned home Sunday morning, having slept in a ditch near Potlatch. Night had overtaken them as they were returning from a bicycle trip to Camp Laird. Officers of Lewiston and Moscow and Pullman citizens had joined in the search.

50 years ago

Aug. 8, 1963

The Palouse country’s familiar rolling landscape is dotted in this photo as harvest heads toward a peak in the central portion of Whitman County and winds up in the western area. In the photo, the harvesters are cutting Rocket peas on the Colyar Brothers-Brindle ranch north of Colfax with Earl Colyar on the self-propelled, Ralph Colyar driving the tractor on the pull machine and Gary Logsdon punching header.

Jake Ottmar, who farms about three miles south of Diamond on the Hugh Huntley ranch, was more than a bit shaky after he rode a self-propelled combine “all the way” as the rear end slid down a hill and the machine flopped over wildly to land on its side.

Ottmar remained in the driver’s seat and thinks he must have held on by tucking his feet under his seat or around the steering post.

At any rate, he escaped with a few bruises and several more gray hairs.

As the machine crashed onto the ground, the manifold on the engine broke and fire spewing from it ignited the grain in the field, destroying the combine and burning about five acres of wheat and stubble.

Ottmar jumped from the seat as soon as the machine came to a stop and ran to escape the flames.

Fruit growers at Penawawa are expecting a good peach harvest this season, several growers told the Gazette this week. The peaches are of a good size and quality because they ripened more slowly in the cool weather this year.

25 years ago

Aug. 11, 1988

In a photo, cookie developer Phyllis Schat from Redlands, Calif., hugs heads of soft white Stephens wheat in a visit to the Diamond area farm of Clarence and Daaron Hamilton that produced the whole wheat pastry flour. The Hamiltons produce Stephens wheat that has been fertilized with the natural products marketed by Micro Ag of Steptoe.

Alan Lee is busy at Palouse as he prepares to take over the reins as principal of the school district. Lee presently lives in Moscow and commutes to Palouse. He is filling the position vacated by Robert Milliken.

10 years ago

Aug. 7, 2003

A photo shows a Colfax rural fire truck mopping up Friday morning at the Vic Roberts ranch on the Green Hollow Road northwest of Colfax.

Fire volunteers from Colfax and Steptoe responded to the scene at 9:50 a.m.

when the fire started.

The fire was pushed east by winds to the Green Hollow Road where it was stopped after covering 15 acres, most of which was in stubble.

Approximately one acre of barley was destroyed.

Five trucks responded from Colfax and two from Steptoe.

An Albion crew also started toward the fire but was called back.

Fire volunteers last week were concerned about the high fire danger following the string of hot weather.

Weekend rains took some of the edge off but generally dry conditions exist.