Good old days - July 8, 2010

125 years ago, July 10, 1885

Commencing last Monday, running of trains on the Palouse branch was reversed, making Colfax headquarters and the Sunday layover point. Hereafter trains will leave this city Monday, Wednesday and Friday, arriving on alternate days. The change was made for the benefit of the railroad boys, Palouse Junction (Connell) being such an uninviting place to spend Sunday in.

Ed Harris, son of Marshal Harris, fell asleep while lying on the floor last Saturday morning, and was stung in the face by a spider. Soon after awakening his face began to swell, which continued until lotions were applied, when the swelling receded and he has now nearly recovered.

Livingstone and Kehn have just filled an order for 3,000 feet of sheet iron pipe for E.R. Smith’s grain chute at Smith’s landing on the Snake River. They are now at work on another order from Mr. Hutchinson, of Colton, who will put in a chute somewhere above Wawawai.

100 years ago, July 8, 1910

What otherwise would have been an ideal celebration was marred by a shooting affray and a $20,000 fire last Monday. About 4 o’clock in the afternoon, Del McConnell was shot in the abdomen by an unknown man in a brawl in Schluting’s saloon. He later died of his injuries.

McConnell and a friend were in the back room of the saloon when the stranger approached them in a drunken condition and began to talk fight. It is said that McConnell slapped the man’s face, whereupon the stranger drew a revolver and shot him. The shots were heard by persons who live in the vicinity.

The stranger jumped out of the back end of the saloon and ran up the river bank and disappeared through the north end of town. He lost his hat and this is the only trace officers have of him.

McConnell died Tuesday afternoon from the injuries received in the affray. He is well known in Colfax, having resided in this vicinity for years.

75 years ago, July 12, 1935

“Yes, thank you, the baby is doing very well and growing up to be quite a little man. What do you think of the little dickens?”

You see, it’s like this; The newspapermen of the state think we have a nice sheet here in Colfax- in fact, the second best weekly paper in Washington- and we would like to know if our readers really share this opinion. For after all, the proof of the paper pudding lies in the reading, and, essentially our worth to the Colfax community is judged by the opinions of our subscribers rather than by the verdict of other editors.

Word was received here Thursday noon of the accidental death of J.O. Kennedy, age about 50, in a fall from a hay derrick on the John Hinnenkamp ranch. According to the report made by County Coroner J.D. Evans and Deputy Sheriff W.W. Nicley, Kennedy attempted to ride to the top of the hay stack on a Jackson fork, which tripped its lock, flinging Kennedy to the ground and killing him instantly. An identification card in his pocket instructed that Mrs. Dottie Pratt of Seattle be notified in case of an accident.

50 years ago, July 7, 1960

The wheat acreage allotment for Whitman County has increased 3,651 acres over last year, Floyd Weber, chairman of the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Committee, said today.

The allotment for 1961 will be 346,839 acres and is the county’s share of the national wheat allotment of 55 million acres.

Principal Leonard Jennings of Colfax elementary school and Principal Eldon Phillips of Washougal elementary school (a former Colfax resident), attended two days of principals’ meetings in conjunction with the Eastern Washington College of Education summer session at Cheney last Tuesday and Wednesday.

One of the largest fruit crops in history is predicted for Whitman County orchardists on the Snake river. Kenneth Wallace, Penawawa grower, said “this year promises a good crop of everything. It may be the best crop we have had.”

County Agent Felix Entenmann said that prospects favor a large crop of peaches and apricots in the harvest along the river.

Wallace said the weather has been favorable to the crop growth. The winter was not extreme and the fruit suffered no spring frosts. Pollenization also has been good.

“Apricots are ripening now and we will begin harvesting this weekend; the size and the crop look good,” Entenmann said.

25 years ago, July 11, 1985

Residents in the Endicott, LaCrosse and St. John school districts were surveyed to determine interest in possible cooperative programs between schools. Under study are proposed cooperatives between Endicott and LaCrosse or between Endicott and St. John.

Sharon Storment, Endicott school board member, said a 20 percent sampling of school district residents was interviewed “face to face” and the same questions were mailed to all residents of the district. She said she feels many residents didn’t realize Endicott has only 15 students in the high school.

“The survey showed a lot of support for something cooperative. We don’t know just what. No specific cooperative program was discussed,” she said.

The first load of fall barley was delivered to LaCrosse Grain Growers Friday by Dale Mays of Hooper and harvest is now underway in the western part of the county, according to Bonnie Bigsby, elevator manager.

10 years ago, July 6, 2000

More than 40 county residents attended forums at Pullman and Colfax last month as part of the National Dialogue on Poverty and Opportunity.

The forum was a follow-up to a 1996 session in which Community Action Agencies across the country conducted more than 3,000 public meetings involving more than 150,000 people.

Pine City native Ron Koeper is a straight shooter in more ways than one.

“When I first started as a policeman if a guy took a poke at you, you took a poke at ‘em back,” he says matter-of-factly.

The 1951 graduate of Pine City High School has stories and experiences to share with anyone who will listen. He has gone from Pine City to a couple steps below the big leagues, played for legendary coaches, and during his 38 year tenure in police work was involved in one of the most high-profile murder cases in the area’s history. He worked 18 years as a sheriff for Nez Perce County.