Good Ol' Days

125 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette, August 12, 1898

DODGED A SAND BAG

Cy. Neel's Narrow Escape From a Knock Out Blow

Life of the Thug Saved Only By the Failure of a Cartridge to Explode

Cy. Neel, the well-known sheep man, had a narrow escape from a sandbag Tuesday night, and incidentally the thug who swung it at him escaped with his life only because of a defective cartridge which failed to fire. About 11 o'clock Mr. Neel was returning to the city from North Colfax. The night was dark, and as he crossed the wagon bridge near the residence of Wm. Codd and turned into a darker shadow he heard a suspicious noise behind him. Quickly wheeling, he was just in time to duck a vicious blow of a sandbag. Mr. Neel is one of those men aways prepared for an emergency and quick to meet it. As he straightened up the muzzle of a big six-shooter was in line with the thug, who life was only saved by the failure of the cartirdge to explode when the hammer struck it. Mr. Neel says that in the thouands of times he has fird that pistol this was the first failure to respond. The thug instantly rolled down an embankment and escaped in the darkness.

100 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette, Friday, August 10, 1923

HARVEST WORK BEING PUSHED

THOUSAND OF ACRES OF GRAIN HAS BEEN CUT THIS WEEK- THRESHING RIGS GOING

The farmers of this county have but one object in view at the present time, and that is to get the present crop cut, threshed and sacked and then delivered to the warehouses.

Whitman County has a great wheat crop this year but the total crop of the county has been greatly over-estimated and even the crop in this state is only twenty million bushels greater than the general average has been for the last fifteen years.

Wheat growers who know the conditions point out that much of this years increased wheat crop comes from sections of the state where no crops have been raised for several years. They point out that in former years, when poor prices were paid the farmers for their produce, that the old cry similar to the being used this year, the cry of over production was raised. The experienced wheat growers insist that this is not mroe than six months supply of wheat on hand in the entire world.

This years crop which is one of the greatest crops that has ever been harvested in a number of years, finds plenty of workers available to man every harvest crew. Hundreds of workers have arrived in this state this week from Montana and these men who are usually experienced farmers have no trouble in securing a job in the harvest fields.

Thousands of acres of grain has been cut and shocked throughout the county this week. Many acres of the grain has been headed and threshed in the western part of the county and the big threshing rigs are now going into the fields.

75 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette-Commoner, Thursday, August 12, 1948

Youngest Correspondent Covers 'Suburb' For Gazette-Commoner

Distinction of being both the Gazette-Commoner's youngest and "closest in" correspondent goes to Miss Maryann Kramlich of the Grandview district on eastern outskirts of Colfax.

Each week Miss Kramlich gathers the news of the 12 to 15 families living near Colfax on the Colfax-Palouse highway.

50 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette, Thursday, August 9, 1973

ALL-GIRL RODEO AIDS 8 RIDERS ON TRIP TO HI-SCHOOL NATIONALS

The all-girl rodeo at the Palouse Empire Fairgrounds Saturday made over $200 to back eight Whitman County entries in the national high school rodeo next week at Ogden, Utah. Sunday's event was sponsored by the Girl's Northwest Rodeo Association. Going to the nationals will be Harmon and Walt Smith, Scott Evans and Chad Startin, all of Lacrosse; John Hayes, Vicki Vance and Ursula Gahler, all of St. John; and Janet Hilty, Colfax. They won their berths in the state finals at Moses Lake.

25 Years Ago

From the Whitman County Gazette, Thursday, August 6, 1998

Knights present trophy to ELW strokers

Jacob Watson, left, of the Colfax Knights of Columbus, the organization which underwrites the medal costs of the Whitman County Swim meet, presented the trophy to the ELW club after the final point totals were tabulated Sunday evening at Colfax. Around the trophy are Coaches Mark Fehrenbacker, Sarina Campbell in back and Rachel Chastain. Karla Larson of Endicott and Heidi Kinch of Washtucna also helped coach the big crew.

10 Years Ago

From the Whitman County Gazette, Thursday, 2013

Swimmers from sevent teams, coaches, parents and fans gathered for the awards ceremony in Schmuck Park after competing for more than six hours in the Jerry Cluckey Memorial Knights of Columbus swim meet. Over 200 youth were entered in the meet which totaled 72 events . Pomeroy won the Cluckey cup for the seventh time.