Good Old Days

125 years ago

The Commoner

June 5, 1896

Tekoa is talking of organizing a fire department.

Rosalia will have a harness and saddlery establishment in the near future.

J.T. Lobaugh, ex-postmaster of Pullman, is going into the grocery business in that city.

The remains of A.L. Tays, who killed his wife and himself at Palouse last week, were buried at the expense of the county.

An Indian named Charley Frank was brought up from the Snake River Tuesday night charged with horse stealing, says the Colton News-Letter. He was lodged in the city jail and the next morning was taken to Colfax by Constable Wiley. The Indian was seen riding a horse which one Parks had missed for some time.

The Herald says that the largest monument ever shipped to Pullman was placed over the grave of Mrs. R.B. Hatley last week.

Palouse has still another gold excitement. This time it is the Gold creek district, six miles from the Ruby creek mines, which is attracting attention.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner

June 10, 1921

A verdict for $25,000 damages against Whitman County was awarded in the Spokane superior court Wednesday afternoon to Mrs. Howe, whose husband died last fall from injuries received in an automobile accident on the state road a short distance north of Steptoe.

The jury held that the county was responsible for the death of Harold Howe on account of neglect to repair the road. The driver of the car, Peter Zounick, who was driving over 30 miles an hour, according to the testimony of Mrs. Howe, was a party to the damage suit, but was exonerated by the jury.

*****

The corner stone for the new Colfax Methodist Church is to be laid by the Masons Sunday afternoon, June 19, at 2:30 o’clock. The address will be delivered by Dr. U.F. Hawk of Spokane. Masons from different parts of the state are expected to attend.

*****

The Whitman County Farm Bureau has issued a call for a county meeting to be held in the Community hall, Colfax, on Saturday, June 18, at 1 p.m. At this time the wage scale for haying and harvest will be set for the county.

In the early spring a similar meeting was held to set the wage for spring work and the outcome of that meeting was very gratifying to most farmers.

At the same meeting the question of working for a reduction of handling and storage charges on this year’s crop will be discussed.

75 years ago

The Colfax Gazette-Commoner

June 14, 1946

A rifle and shotgun were taken away from two Colfax juveniles Friday when apprehended shooting across railroad right-of-way and other property by a sheriff’s officer and a railroad special agent. Confiscation of the firearms brought the total to eight during the week, according to Probation Officer Melvin Nickerson who reiterated the warning that it is unlawful for boys 14 years or under to have guns of any kind in possession.

*****

A bumblebee caused cars driven by Jesse Neal, Colfax, and N. McPhail, Spokane painter, to sideswipe on the Buck Canyon hill north of town Wednesday morning, forcing Neal’s car into a ditch but without injury to him or Mrs. Neal. McPhail drove into the wrong lane as he attempted to avoid the bee which later was found in his arm pit under his coat after it had hit his forehead. McPhail and a fellow passenger also were uninjured. Neal placed the damage to his car at $150.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette

June 10, 1971

Despite the low prices, intake on this year’s wool pool by the Whitman County Woolgrowers association showed a 4,000-pound increase over last year. The total this year was 86,000 pounds compared to 82,000 last season.

The wool load was brought to the Colfax collection point Monday by 235 producers, according to books kept at the collection.

This year’s price on the wool was $25.35 per 100 pounds from the Caron Spinning Co., Rochelle, Ill. The price at the April 13 bid opening compares with a $44.19 price on last year’s pool.

The price reflects a 37-year low in the wool market, according to Felix Entenmann, county agent.

*****

John Delaney, 10, son of Mrs. Jean Delaney of Colfax, is recovering from a broken right shoulder and deep cuts and bruises sustained when he fell off his bicycle while coming down the west Fairview hill last Saturday afternoon.

He and his brother, Mark, 14, had completed mowing the lawn at the Henry Savage home on the Almota Road and were returning home down the hill when something apparently went wrong with the steering mechanism on John’s bike, his brother said.

He was taken to Whitman Community hospital by the community ambulance. A wound on the top of his head required 10 stitches to close and he was also treated for the broken shoulder and other injuries and remained in the hospital for three days.