Good Old Days: March 5, 2020

125 years ago

The Commoner

March 8, 1895

The members of the Colfax band have been busy the last few days arranging their plans for building an opera house. A number of meetings have been held and within a week probably the details of their enterprise will have been agreed to. The general plan of the proposed house, its size, seating capacity and stage proportions are determined, so that the details of the financial part of the undertaking are about all that remain to be settled. As soon as they are perfected, committees will be appointed and subscriptions solicited. Many substantial offers of assistance have been volunteered and it is believed that the response of the citizens generally will be a generous one. Several sites have been offered on lease free of rent but it is deemed best for the band to own the property in fee simple, and a satisfactory proposition of that nature has been made.

A flattering interest in the enterprise has been shown by many business men and success seems assured.

***

Representation of the various firemen's organizations of the city met at the city hall last Friday night in answer to the call of Chief Engineer Jack Hutcheon.

President W. J. Davenport of Engine Co. No. 1, presided at the meeting and E. R. Horswell acted as secretary.

The communication of the secretary of the Eastern Oregon & Washington Firemen's association, soliciting the Colfax Fire department to join the association was read, and on motion it was decided to comply with the request.

No further action was taken by the meeting, but from the informal discussion it was apparent that Colfax will at least send delegates to the meeting at Walla Walla, June 4, and probably send a team or two to compete in the tournament on June 5.

The local department is in a measure handicapped in the speed contests as all its machines are for actual work and not built for racing. More than this, there is no place to train a team. But, in the event that it is decided to send any teams, it will try by hard work to offset these advantages.

***

Harry Cornwell returned Sunday from Olympia where with other Whitman County men he has been laboring for the passage of the Helm freight bill. He did not think when he left Olympia that there was much show to pass the bill in the senate.

“Both the Whitman senators,” said he “are heart and soul for the measure, neither are they to be brought off by railroad gold.”

“The railroad lobby was active and unscrupulous and it was openly asserted that certain members, naturally supporters of the measure, had been fixed.”

“It is not improbable that these men since they have defeated the bill will introduce a bill for a 10 percent or even 20 percent reduction on grain to take the curse off their shameful surrender to the railroads. Such a bill the railroads offered to agree to, as they do not consider it binding at law and therefore only to be observed at their pleasure.”

W. L. LaFollette of Guy returned at the same time with Mr. Cornwell, and Judge Ruby, J. H. Bellinger, D. F. Anderson and C. A. Elmer, who remained to see the fight out, will return tomorrow.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

March 5, 1920

The session of the city council Monday evening was a busy one and there were a number of important matters considered. The first thing which was taken up after the council members had checked the monthly accounts was the payment of the indebtedness incurred by the emergency hospital, which was maintained at the Knights of Pythias hall during the greater part of February. Councilman Roberts, who was instructed to supply the hospital with everything which was needed, did so. The hospital was equipped with cots, mattresses, sheets and furniture by the members of the Red Cross, the St. Ignatius hospital and outside parties. The city was put to no expense in securing this equipment. During the twenty-two days the hospital was maintained, there were many cases treated. The expense for the 22 days exceeded the receipts by just $580. The building was donated by the Knights of Pythias lodge and Mr. Roberts said there was still some money due from patients who had been treated at the emergency hospital.

The members of the city council ordered the bill paid and it was decided to send a committee to the county commissioners Tuesday morning to see if the county would pay one-half of the extra expense, in view of the fact that there were many outside parties treated at the emergency hospital. The commissioners took the matter under advisement.

***

Attorney Sapiro of California delivered an address on co-operative marketing that won the support of some of the best and most substantial farmers in this section of the county Wednesday afternoon at the Knight of Pythias hall. The meeting was to have been held at the Walker hall but there were so many farmers present to attend the meeting that it was decided to hold the meeting at the city hall. Mayor Codd threw open the doors of the city hall to the visitors, but even this building was entirely too small to hold those who wished to attend the meeting and the crowd moved the city hall to the Knight of Pythias temple which is located on the opposite side of the street. Every seat in the K. P. temple was taken when the meeting was called to order and there were a large number of farmers standing along the rear of the room and this line extended out into the hall.

J. W. Haines of Pullman acted as chairman and in a few, well-chosen remarks, he introduced the state president of the farmers' union, A. A. Elmore, of Spokane, as the first speaker. Mr. Elmore, who is a forceful speaker, launched immediately into the question of co-operative marketing and said in part:

“Last October at Chicago, a car load of sugar was sold eight times in less than six weeks. Every dealer took his profits and passed the sugar onto the next speculator. Wheat which was sold last fall by the farmers, has changed hands a half a dozen times, and the wheat which I have in mind is now still in the same warehouse where it was delivered last October. Every dealer took his profit before passing it onto the purchaser and this is the condition which the wheat growers want to eliminate in the future. Grain men make all the profits they can. They have a right to make these profits for they are not engaged in business to lose.”

75 years ago

The Colfax Gazette-Commoner

March 9, 1945

The coldest March weather in many years hit the Palouse country last weekend, W. H. Arrasmith’s government thermometer dropping to four degrees Sunday for the coldest day of the year and second coldest of the winter season. Farmers were worried about their wheat.

In the opinion of County Agent Troy Lindley the cold snap was not long or severe enough to do much general injury to wheat although there is probably some spotted damage, particularly on high points that have been swept bare by wind.

Agent Lindley estimates that three-fourths of the wheat acreage had a snow covering to protect the tender blades from the cutting northeast wind that blew throughout Sunday and that night. Winter kill would be light, he believed, because of the hardy varieties of wheat grown in Whitman County.

50 years ago

The Colfax Gazette

March 5, 1970

Formation of a countywide “tax revolt” committee may be attempted at a meeting to be held next Thursday at the fairgrounds at 7:30 p.m., Max Kimble, chairman of the tax committee that sponsored a meeting at Whelan Grange near Pullman last week told the Colfax Gazette yesterday.

“The majority of the people at the Whelan tax meeting requested a larger meeting at the fairgrounds,” he said. “We urge all property taxpayers from both city and rural areas to attend. Wives are welcome.”

Kimble added that many county officials have been especially invited to attend.

Members of the committee sponsoring the meeting include Cecil Farr, Norman Druffel, Bill Hood, Merle Harlow, E. N. Klemgard and Dick Wilbourn, the latter as secretary.

25 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

March 9, 1995

The Whitman County Wetlands Ordinance will be challenged before a state hearings board after a petition was filed by a Whitman County couple.

Victor and Roberta Moore petitioned the Eastern Washington Growth Management Hearings Board for a review of the ordinance, which was passed in December.

“We don’t think the ordinance offers adequate protection for these particular critical areas in our county,” said Dawn Reynolds, Pullman attorney representing the Moores.

However, county planner Mark Bordsen said the ordinance does protect the wetlands.

“It follows state law,” Bordsen said. “It protects those wetlands that have not been destroyed.”

The ordinance calls for landowners to avoid and minimize impact on wetlands. It also requires they replace wetlands with wetlands whenever a change of use is implemented.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette

March 11, 2010

Whitman County’s attempt to establish laws regarding commercial wind turbine installations hit the doldrums again last week.

The hangup came when Superior Court Judge David Frazier said he will need research time after a hearing on the process which led up to adoption of the law last November.

Thursday’s hearing was on Prosecutor Denis Tracy’s motion to dismiss two appeals on planner Alan Thomson’s decision that the ordinance presents no significant environmental impact. Thomson made that decision before the Whitman County Planning Commission approved its draft of the ordinance and county commissioners approved a revised draft.

Roger Whitten and Carolyn Kiesz, both residents of the Thornton-Oakesdale area where Palouse Wind is currently studying wind patterns, filed the appeals.

“The issues in my mind are not as clear as you all are saying here,” said Frazier after the hearing.