Good Old Days: April 18, 2019

125 years ago

The Commoner, April 13, 1894

The Commoner is gratified today to make the formal announcement that the Bank of Colfax resumed business on Monday morning last. The institution closed when the great financial panic struck the country. Hon. James A Perkins, owner of the bank, stated today that the business would have been resumed a short while after the closing last fall, if there had not been a general destruction of crops in the Palouse country, which render collections impossible.

When the Bank of Colfax closed its doors, the people in general had the utmost confidence that it would resume at the earliest day practicable, and it is a matter of local pride that there has been no permanent failure in Colfax, and that on Monday last, the only one of her banks that was forced to take shelter till the financial cyclone passed over, has opened its door again, and recommenced on a firm basis.

***

Until the recent decision of the supreme court of this state, it was held by Prosecuting Attorney Pickrell that the towns of Farmington, Oakesdale, Palouse, Pullman, Tekoa and Uniontown of Whitman County were not legally incorporated and for that reason taxes levied for municipal purposes in these towns were illegally levied and not collectible. The late decision of the supreme court sustain the validity of their incorporation, and the county commissioners and treasurer have agreed, in fairness to the tax payers of the above-named towns, that the penalty and interest shall not attach to the city taxes for said cities until May 15, 1894. This applies to city taxes only and does not apply to county and state taxes on city property.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner, April 18, 1919

The farmers residing in the vicinity of Hay are complaining that the wire worms are damaging the fall wheat crop. The wet cold weather of the last two weeks have given these pests a start and some fields of grain have already been damaged.

Arthur Cox, who travelled over this section of the county this week, says that a few days of warm weather is needed to dry out the ground and send these worms below the roots of the wheat. The only complaint made so far has come from the lower part of the county and two or three days of warm weather is said to be all that is needed to remedy the wire worm evil.

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Dr. J. A. McKibbon has leased a house on Park Street and has decided to take up his veterinary work at Colfax and surrounding country. Last year he enlisted in the army and after his discharge he was undecided just what he would do. He is to remain in Colfax and will continue his veterinary practice.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner, April 14, 1944

Each weekend Molly Claus Short sits down in her old rocking chair in her home at Albion, props a pad of paper upon her knee and writes up the happenings of the week, the sad and the humorous, the good and the bad news about her neighbors. Each Monday she mails her news letter to the Gazette-Commoner. For 51 years she has been mailing in Whitman County news to this paper and most of the time it has come from Albion.

Through the window at her right, she can look across the quiet fields and homes of Albion “folks” who know her best as Aunt Molly. She not only has chronicled their births, deaths, marriages, comings and goings for more than half a century, but she also officiated as a justice of the peace for 18 years, beginning when her name was written in on the ballot in 1923. A time or two she paid the filing fee and had her name on the ballot, but in later years neighbors continued her in office by merely writing in her name.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette, April 10, 1969

Law officers and Federal Aviation officials Wednesday were investigating the cause of an airplane crash which killed three persons Monday afternoon two miles east of Albion near the Leon Eggers ranch. An autopsy report on the pilot was expected late Wednesday and a formal accident report on the accident cause will be made later, County Coroner Philip Faris said.

All three were killed instantly when Carbert's airplane struck a 110,000-volt power line and plowed into a wheatfield across the road from the Eggers landing strip.

The three-death accident is believed to be the county's worst air tragedy in recent years.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette, April 21, 1994

Plans for an ordinance which aims at more control over the city's animal population drew a few snarls Monday night at city hall. City official, who have had the animal law in the works for several months, asked residents to state their opinions before the law goes into the books.

The hearing advanced to the touchy stage after Councilman Tom Miller made an aside suggestion— “smoke 'em”-- on what to do about the town's alleged excess of cats.