Good Old Days: Feb. 15, 2018

125 years ago

The Commoner

February 10, 1893

The explosion of a kerosene lamp at the home of E. W. Duckett, seven miles southeast of Colfax, near the old poor-farm Friday night, came near causing serious results. As it was, considerable damage was done and one of Mr. Duckett's children was injured about the head and face. Through some cause or other, the bowl of the lamp fell off on the sitting room floor and in an instant the room was in a blaze. Bed clothes and water were thrown on the flames, which burned along the wall and up towards the ceiling. Mr Duckett's boy, Otto, two-and-a-half years old, was near the explosion at the time it occurred.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

February 8, 1918

Elonzo C. Gould died Saturday evening at St. Ignatius hospital at the age of 68 years from the effects of burns. In starting a fire in his home in LaCrosse he was badly burned when the stove exploded. The garments were burned from his body and the house was consumed by flames.

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A. H. Bruett is securing plans for a planing mill to be erected on the property formerly owned by the Libby sawmill on Indian Creek. The O.-W. R. and N. officials promised to build a side track to the mill in case that a suitable site is chosen for the new mill. It will be located about 18 miles from Tekoa.

75 years ago

The Gazette-Commoner

February 5, 1943

Confessing that he had robbed two stores at Thornton the evening of January 19, Clifford LeRoy Altringer, 24, Walla Walla, pleaded guilty to second degree burglary before Superior Court Judge M.E. Jesseph Saturday morning and was given a maximum of 15 years in the state penitentiary.

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Authorized by the Whitman County chapter of the Red Cross, a surgical dressing project will be started in Colfax March 1 if the materials are on hand by that time. Mrs. H. W. Pugh, executive secretary, announced Tuesday that Mrs. S. E. Perkins would be chairman in charge of the work and that Mrs. John D. Evans would be co-chairman. The project will be carried on in four rooms of the second floor of the Strevy-Hughes building.

50 years ago

The Colfax Gazette

February 8, 1968

Horse racing's return to Mockonema Downs appeared to be “in the gate” this week after consideration by the Whitman County Horse Racing Association, according to Barney Peterson, racing president.

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Members of Dusty Gun Club entertained their wives at the annual sausage feed Thursday evening. Approximately 25 couples attended.

25 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

February 11, 1993

A six-foot tall bird might not be everyone's idea of an investment, but for four Colfax residents, it could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Last April, Bernie Tyacke, Mark and Mike Harrison and Brad Irwin bought 10 emus in California for $1,000 per bird and brought them to the Harrison's property east of Colfax. The four are planning to raise, breed and board emus for themselves and other investors. According to Tyacke, most emus are currently being raised for a “breeder's market,” which means most ranchers are planning to sell their birds as breeding stock to other emu ranchers. Eventually, the birds will be slaughtered for meat, leather and a body oil that is used in cosmetics.

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Three juveniles who were charged with taking hood emblems off autos in Colfax have been recommended for the diversion program at the Whitman County Juvenile Office.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

February 7, 2008

Deputies and rescue workers were called to the Thornton area Saturday afternoon to extricate two snowmobilers who crashed into an abandoned cistern near Trestle Creek Road about two miles east of Highway 195.