Good Old Days April 13

125 years ago

The Commoner

April 8, 1892

The First and Second National banks of Colfax and the First National bank of Palouse City have brought an action in the superior court to restrain County Treasurer Larue from collecting by the usual process of law in such cases, the taxes assessed to them by County Assessor W. B. Pendell.

The latter official, following out the Washington state law, assessed the capital stock of those institutions, together with the surplus fund, and undivided profit accounts invested in promissory notes, bills of exchange, mortgages and other credits, as “capital stock, surplus and undivided profits.” Now the plaintiffs declared that the property in question was not subject to taxation by the laws of the State of Washington or of the United States, and that the assessment was illegal and void.

The suit treats the tax of Whitman County for the year 1891, which became delinquent March 1st, 1892. Treasurer Larue has demanded these taxes, with charges of collection and added penalties provided by law, and must, unless enjoined by the court, proceed to advertise for the sale of the property in question. The banks claim that their own personal property is the furniture and fixtures, worth about $2,000 in each case.

The plaintiffs assert that by virtue of a charter granted to them by the United States of America, they exercise certain powers, privileges and immunities applicable to national banks, and that they are not subject to taxation for state and county purposes within the State of Washington.

Judge Sullivan granted the restraining order, upon the agreement of the plaintiffs to execute a bond of $3,000 in each case to the defendant. The latter will appear April 12th at 2 p.m. to resist the application of plaintiffs for an injunction.

***

Colfax College is the only Institution of Higher Education now in operation in the Palouse country. The college offers classical, Latin-Scientific, normal and business courses from a faculty of competent instructors.

Fall term begins Sept. 16, 1891 and ends Dec. 9, 1891. Winter term begins Dec. 10, 1891 and ends March 16, 1892. Spring term begins March 2, 1892 and ends June 8, 1892. Vacations are Dec. 23-Jan. 4 and March 16-23.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

April 13, 1917

Winona citizens held a preliminary meeting last week whose object was to reorganize their band. The town formerly supported a good band which was not kept up, and now that the need of such an organization is evident, steps are taken to reorganize. They hope to secure the services of Dennis Brooks of Walla Walla as leader of the new band.

***

One of the best records in wheat prices was made last Saturday at Pullman when Arthur Ricketts, a Pullman farmer, received $1.75 for 1,100 bushels of club wheat. Smaller quantities were sold at $1.70 a bushel. The grain was sold to the Puget Sound company.

***

An agreement was reached Wednesday that the members of the commercial club through their committee would act as a bureau through whom all parties that desire to raise potatoes may secure ground and seed this year.

The committee headed by Dr. Palamountain appointed to investigate a plan to increase the raising of perishable food products reported that it was the opinion of the committee to have the members of the club guarantee at least $1,000 to aid in carrying out this work.

H. G. DePledge spoke of the county organization which was effected at the court house Monday and mentioned that Mr. MaGuire had promised to donate the use of forty acres of land. Mr. DePledge gave an interesting talk on the work that is outlined by the patriotic league, both county and local, and took the occasion to ask all present to join the league and aid the members of the association. The speaker stated that the county league was advocating the raising of all food products possible and that it was the intention of the county organization to work out the same plans in every part of the county that was being undertaken by the local club.

President Glaser said that the plans of the committee met with his approval and he thought that a committee should be appointed to list all land available and take the names of all who desired to engage in the work of raising potatoes or vegetables.

Martin J. Maloney stated that there had been too much talk and no action. He pointed out that the major part of the last three meetings of the club had been devoted to the discussing of the potato planting subject and that nothing had developed but talk. It is time now, he said, to begin planting potatoes and his suggestion was to have the committee secure the ground and then advertise for a list of boys or men who would take up this work.

R. F. Bigelow favored retaining the committee and his suggestion that this committee meet with the members of the patriotic league on Wednesday and work out a definite plan to immediately take up this work, met with the approval of those who were present.

A number of the members of the club were inclined to think that it was the duty of the county commissioners to make a suitable appropriation for the purpose of encouraging the raising of potatoes, but the opinion of Attorney Voorhees was that the commissioners had no power to do this.

At this point, Dr.

Palamountain said that an effort should be made to secure the assistance of fifty men who would guarantee the payment of a thousand dollars which would be used to purchase potatoes for seeding purposes, and this motion carried.

The plan is to furnish seed and aid in securing land for planting the potatoes to those who will agree to care for the crop and return the amount of the cost of the potatoes in the fall.

This committee will do what they can to furnish a market for the crop and the business men are expected to purchase their supply of potatoes from these home growers.

Land must be secured quickly to plant this crop and public spirited farmers who expect to leave their land lie idle a summer fallow are asked to communicate with Mr. DePledge if they wish to donate free, a portion of this class of land.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner

April 10, 1942

At the request of residents of the Bethel school district east of town, County Superintendent R. R. Maxwell has fixed Saturday, April 18, as the date on which an election will be held to decide whether or not Bethel shall be consolidated with the Colfax district. Voting will take place in both districts between the hours of 1 and 5 p.m. Signing the petition which asked for the poll were Mrs. Dean Hubbard, Lyle E. Hitly, Mrs. A. D. Hitly, Henry Stueckle and Albert Mitchell. Nine pupils, whose teacher is Mrs. Westford Ferrell, are attending the Bethel school this year.

On April 18 also, elections will be held in the Hubbard and Colfax districts to determine the question of consolidation. On April 16, the county superintendent will hold a public hearing on his proposal to disorganize the Mockonema district and add its territory to the Colfax district.

***

Men physically fit, under 70 years, and who are receiving public assistance, will be permitted to help with the harvest this fall or do farm chores for pay without losing their senior citizen grants, it was announced jointly this week by the county commissioners and welfare department.

Anticipating a labor shortage at harvest time, the ruling was made in order to release regularly employed farmhands for heavier work. Senior citizens were promised that unless their earnings were too great, no deductions would be made from their pensions. Each pensioner has been asked to let the welfare department know to what extent he believes himself capable of performing light work, or even ordinary harvest work.

Families on public assistance have also been asked to put in a vegetable garden this year, either big or small, C. A. Erickson, welfare administrator, reminding them it is their duty to help in the effort to win the war, in a world greatly in need of food.

Those in need of jars in which to can produce grown in their own gardens will be supplied, the welfare department advises.

Knowing that pensioners are willing to do all possible in cooperating in the trying months ahead, the welfare department asks that they make their own arrangement to bring wood in if they live near a place where wood may be obtained.

For the sake of economy during what threatens to be a period of fuel shortage, the pensioners are asked also to see that their stoves and flues are giving sufficient service. If it is necessary, the welfare department will give assistance in the buying of new grates and stovepipe.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

April 13, 1967

Opening of a Ford agency in Colfax is a strong possibility if agreement can be reach on sale of city property alongside the Walla Walla highway to the prospective dealer, Rolfe Nelson of Spokane, the Gazette learned Wednesday.

The Ford Motor Co. has given its approval to plans for a dealership in Colfax, and Nelson is optimistic over the business potential of this area. “There are over 1,800 Fords registered in Whitman County and I'm sure a dealership in Colfax could be of great service to the many people who buy Ford products year after year, and would be a fine business addition to the community,” he said.

Nelson, who has been in the automotive business since 1936, would form a corporation with a “builder and investor,” but would actively manage the firm.

Tentative plans call for erection of a building with a minimum of about 10,000 square feet for showroom and service department and would provide complete facilities.

Nelson, a resident of Spokane since 1952, is owner of Emil's Radiator Repair Service and also owns a used car lot in Spokane. He has previously lived in Couer d'Alene and Chewelah, having been in the automotive business in both communities.

***

Malden and Ewan school districts are again approaching a day of decision on school consolidation while another four districts are still in doubt about finances for next year, according to Orville Widman, county superintendent, and district superintendents.

Voters in Farmington and Oakesdale districts are also approaching a consolidation vote May 9.

Widman reported six petitions from school district patrons seeking consolidations, land transfers, or financial changes have been presented to the county committee or school district organization.

Two petitions came from the Malden district seeking mergers with Rosalia and St. John.

“It could go either way,” C. A. Sprinkel, chairman of the Malden district, commented. “It all depends on the county board.”

According to Widman, the committee can allow only one consolidation proposal on the ballot – or decline both petitions for merger elections.

Malden's April 4 special levy election to raise $11,500 on a 50-mill levy failed 80 no to 46 yes. A Feb. 14 consolidation ballot with Rosalia failed 58-54.

In Ewan, petitioners have asked the county reorganization board to consider another merger election with the St. John district. Ewan's voters defeated such a consolidation last year. In the March 28 elections, Ewan voters downed a $16,000 maintenance and operation levy by a 32 yes, 33 no vote.

The two Malden petitions and the Ewan petition will be considered by the county board on reorganization in the commissioners room at the courthouse in Colfax Monday at 8 p.m., Widman said.

Lack of sufficient funds and students are the two reasons given by petitioners seeking another election on the Malden-Rosalia merger.

According to Chairman Sprinkel, about 23 grade and high school children attend Rosalia schools out of the Malden district. Enrollment at Malden is now 21 students.

On the financial side, Malden district had an average net cost of $870.64 per student for the 1965-66 school year operation, according to a state board general fund expenditure form filled in the county superintendent's office.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette

April 9, 1992

A Montana testing firm last week served up a ration of good news and bad news for city officials who are attempting to find out why the city loses over half the water it pumps.

The good news was that the city's pipes are not leaking. The testing company, which spent most of two weeks here, found a few problems, but nothing major.

The bad news is that after the study, the city still lacks an answer to what is happening to all the water.

“Colfax has a very good system, better than expected,” said Larry Ivie of Utility Service Associates of Big Fork, Mont. Ivie was hired to check out the city's pipes, estimated at 20 miles total, for leaks. The company uses a computerized sounding system to pinpoint underground leaks.

“We've found a few minor leaks, but they've been very small in size,” Ivie said.

The tests followed reports last October by Munir Daud, Pullman consulting engineer who is designing the $650,000 water reservoir project. Daud reported to the city council last October that during a three-month period in the winter of 1991 the city lost 55 percent of the water it pumped.

Daud said the city pumped 55.7 million gallons and collected only 25.3 million which went through the meters.

Daud said he believes the “lost water” could be traced to the aging meter which measures how much water gets pumped. In effect, the meter could be over-stating the amount of water actually pumped.

“The meter could be off a bit and over a few days the amount would really add up,” Daud explained.

The meter, which will also be replaced in the next summer's project, measures intake from the Glenwood wells before the water is pumped by the Clay Street booster station.

Other suspected parts of the city system are the east hill reservoir which will be replaced this summer and the individual water meters.

Daud notes the reservoir could have some leaks, but a loss of close to 30 million gallons should make an appearance somewhere below the reservoir.

If meters are failing to measure all the water which goes into houses, the next question is what are Colfax residents doing with it. Figuring from the totals pumped, the per capita usage in Colfax is more than double what it is in neighboring towns. Colfax now uses 327 gallons per day per capita compared to 140 at Pullman and 125 at Albion.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

April 12, 2007

Commissioners approved Whitman County Public Works' amended Annual Construction Program for 2007 at a meeting March 12. The program listed road and bridge projects. Some projects are already underway while others are just in the preliminary engineering stage. Not every project listed will have construction work performed on it this year.

“It is a small construction year for us,” said Mark Storey, county public works director.

The Almota Road project which was almost completed at the end of last year's construction season will be finished out this year.

Work to be finished on this section of Almota includes paving approaches. According to Storey, the section of Almota from the Whitman Hospital to the Colfax Airport Road will have three to three and a half inches of asphalt laid on the current asphalt and the road will be widened.

That should be a “week's worth work,” Storey said. At present, that section of Almota is 85 to 90 percent finished.

Preliminary engineering will be done this year for the next section which will be from milepost 3.08 to 5.82. The ending point of that section will be half a mile north of Summer's Road intersection.

Farband Bridge at the Sunshine Road intersection along the Moscow-Pullman Highway project will get paving this year to be finished.

Fairbanks Road safety improvement project at the intersection of Highway 27 west of Tekoa will also receive paving.

Staley No. 3 Bridge will receive fairly substantial road work beyond the bridge.

Overlay of Scott Road into LaCrosse from Highway 26 will be this summer after county commissioners Monday awarded the contract to Transtate Paving, Pasco.

Transtate's bid of $256,114 came in roughly $56,000 under the county engineer's estimate. Poe Asphalt of Pullman also bid on the project, but their bid was approximately $45,000 higher.

Funding will come entirely form the county's road fund. Storey said the low levels of regular traffic on the road lowered the chances of receiving state or federal money.

Overlay of Scott Road means LaCrosse will be able to traffic heavy haulers in and out of town year round.

Colfax Airport Access Road and Colfax Airport-Heglar Drive will be upgraded from gravel with an inexpensive oil penetration.

Harlan Bridge will extend beyond the bridge to include the 20 mile per hour curve. Storey said he is surprise there has not been more serious accidents on that curve. The project will make it a 45 mile per hour curve.

McNeilly Bridge over Frog Creek, above the confluence with Union Flat Creek, has been allocated the largest amount of federal funds.

“I'll be surprised if we use all that ($665,000),” he said, expecting only to use $500,000.

Work on the Nelson, K.E. Smith and Ewan High school bridges will all be done this year under a single county project estimated to cost $290,000.

Preliminary engineering work will be done this year on Aune Bridge and Zarbach Bridge.

Funding for county shares on projects derive from two-third state gas tax and one-third property tax. Non-county funds come from grants issued by state and federal improvement programs.