Good Ol' Days

125 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette, Friday, March 10, 1899

ARRESTED AND RELEASED

No Evidence to Hold Supposed Horse Thieves

Monday Constable Potter of Colton came to Colfax with warrants from Justice Flowers’ court for the arrest of John Weston and George Cole, the latter said to have traveled under severeal different aliases, such as Steele and Snow, The charge was horse stealing. Deputy Shereiff Stweard accompanied Mr. Potter and the officers soon got on trail of their men. They were traced through Endicott and Winona and captured Tuesday mornign at daylight asleep at Jack Dobson’s ranch, six miles north of Winona. They had guns under their heads.

The charge was stealing horses from George Baskett of Washtucna. It was said at time of the arrest that they had been selling a large number of horses at Colton and other places, which they were supposed to have stolen. Partiess from the ranges had followed them to Colton and caused the issuance of the warrants.

The prisoners were taken to Colton and given a preliminary hearing Wednesday, when they were discharged, no evidence being produced upon which they could be held.

75 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette-Commoner, Thursday, March 10, 1949

Offer Scouts Class In Radio

There will be plenty of “hams” on the air out of Colfax if the youths taking part in Scoutmater Roland Avery’s radio class finish the course which 14 of them started last week.

Avery hopes to bring his charges along from their present sketchy ideas of radio to where tthey will be able to erect and operate their own station. In doing this, the group will begin byh learning the fundamentals of radio in conjunction with the construjctiion of a one-tube radio set.

Morse code practive will be a part of the program from the beginning. The one-tube radio will be improvedas thee course progresses and students will become thoroughly familiar with the how and why of the set.

If the students wish, and if Avery receives aid from city amateurs, the work will continue until the boys can qualify for amateur licensess. Avery wishes to announce that any technical knowledge or help of any kind from amateurs and men interested in radio will be appreciated by the group.

The students can also use any spare equipment necessary for radio construction that amateurs might have on surplus. Gene Zumwalt is making work kits at cost for the group and will also aid in furnishing tehnical assistance.

50 Years Ago

From the Colfax Gazette, Thursday, March 14, 1974

Lacrosse woman gets $100 reward for aiding sign arrest

A Lacrosse woman, Mrs. Gail Carllson, has won a $100 reward for her asssitance in the arrest and conviction of two men who stole a Washington state highway department sign at Hooper.

The Washington state Highway commission offers a $100 award to anyone who supplies information leading to the arrest and conviction of person who vandalize highway department property. An addition $100 reward is offered jointly by the Automobile club of Washington, Seattle, and the Inland Automobile association, Spokane, whenthe property vandalized is located at a highway department rest area.

Last month, Mrs. Carlson observed the two young men removing the highway department sign from its post near Hooper, and immediateely reported the incident to Whitman County sheriff’s deputies. The men were arrested 15 minutes later with the sign in their possession.