Good Old Days: April 25, 2019

125 years ago

The Commoner, April 27, 1894

The city has collected no license from draymen for a year past, and as all drayage lines must be duly licensed, in order to conform with the city laws, such non-payment had caused considerable discussion. At last night's meeting of the city council, the special committee which was to have investigated this matter, reported in favor of requiring all draymen to take out licenses from March 1, 1894.

If this plan were followed, the draymen who conducted their business all last year without a license would be relieved from any annoyance from the fact of the non-payment in question. The general run of draymen, however, have claims agains the city which extend back to the beginning of 1893, and they declare that when the city pays them the amount due, they will settle with the city.

They also are willing that the city should deduct the amount of their licenses from the claims they hold against the city. This is certainly a very peculiar state of affairs. Despite the existence of a city license ordinance providing for a tax on drayage business, there is not a licensed drayman in the city.

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A party of Colfax bicyclists made an excursion to Pullman last Sunday morning, intending to make the round trip on their wheels. After a wearisome ride to the Artesian city, in the course of which they were frequently compelled to shoulder their wheels and wade through mud holes of varying extent, a couple of the boys concluded to forego their ambitious purpose. They rested at Pullman for a couple of hours, and then shipping their bicycles by freight, took passage for Colfax on the evening train.

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John Adams made a trip to Almota last week, with the object of inspecting the placer prospects on Snake river. He says the flour gold in the sands is too fine and too rare to make operations in securing it very profitable. He says the appearance of the country about Almota is exceedingly beautiful. The trees are all in bloom, and the hills and vales are clothed in emerald sheen. The air is balmy, and perfumed with the scent of apple and peach blossoms.

About 30 citizens and property owners of the North End assembled at the dwelling house of James Ewart Jr., at 7:30 o'clock Tuesday evening, for the purpose of organizing for mutual protection in an important regard. Captain James Ewart was elected temporary chairman, and W. F. Conyard, secretary. Chairman Ewart stated that the object of the meeting was to devise means to prevent the overflow of water, at the North End, and to effect a permanent organization of people of that part of the city to defend their common interests.

100 years ago

The Colfax Commoner, April 25, 1919

Eighteen well known Whitman County farmers were present at the commissioners office Monday at 2 o'clock when the Day-Schweiter road hearing was again taken up. This road was up before the board in March and it was continued until April. From April, it will go over until May 19th and it will be considered by the commissioners at the last regular meeting held in May.

Out of the eighteen men who were present at the hearing and who made the trip from Hay especially to help secure the establishment of this road, every one of the men were positive that the road as needed and badly needed by the people of that community.

***

The Colfax Milling Company has given a contract to Ackerman & Thiel for the improvement of their building and the structure is to be remodeled and the fourth story will be added to the building.

The improvements are made for the purpose of giving the company more room for improved machinery. The mill has been running steady for the last three years and the quantity of flour milled is said to be larger than was milled by any other milling company in the eastern part of the state. Both the Inland and the O.-W. R. & N. lines connect with the mill and many days three and four cars of flour and feed have been loaded and shipped out.

The company has orders ahead that will keep the mill going the greater part of the summer, and they have plenty of wheat to last them up until the latter part of July.

***

One of the most enthusiastic meetings that has ever been held in this city was held by the World War veterans at the K. P. hall last Saturday. The K. of P. temple was placed at the disposal of the visitors and “mess” was served by the ladies of the Red Cross both at noon and in the evening.

The morning was spent by the men in greeting each other. Many of the men who were present at the meeting Saturday left Colfax together and they became separated and placed in different divisions at Camp Lewis. The men had been discharged in small groups and returned home, and Saturday was the first time they had met each other.

75 years ago

Colfax Gazette Commoner, April 21, 1944

Entries for the Spokane junior fat stock show were mailed in this week by County Agent Troy Lindley on 9 head of baby beeves, 12 lambs and 8 hogs. These animals have been fed by 44 4H boys and girls under the supervision of the county extension office.

The stock will be sent to Spokane May 8 and on the final day of the show, Friday, May 12, they will be sold at auction to highest bidder. Judging and showmanship contests and demonstrations will be added features of the show in which Whitman County junior livestock men will take part.

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In order to make available here any book that is needed by local doctors, school teachers, clergymen, or other readers, the Colfax public library has become affiliated with the Pacific Northwest Bibliographic Center, according to Miss Olive Grobel, librarian. This affiliation means that any resident of Colfax may borrow through the public library a copy of any book on any subject he might need for a serious purpose.

***

Wilfred and Wallace Prouty, who Monday took over the management of the Colfax creamery, purchased early in March from Lester and Flay Hill, announced Thursday morning that they had purchased equipment of the Jersey creamery from Charles Bucher and Hinchcliff heirs. The building was leased for 10 years.

For the time being, they said, the two creameries will be operated separately and under their present names, at N 222 Main and N 608 Main, respectively. Capital invested in the two plants is in the neighborhood of $35,000, including the two-story brick building at the corner of Main and Upton, adjacent to the Colfax creamery.

50 years ago

Colfax Gazette, April 17, 1969

Forty-two students who participated in the demonstration in Colfax were placed on seven and one-half months probation and fined $25 each after pleading guilty in Colfax district justice court Wednesday morning to resisting process. The charges stem from a demonstration Feb. 28 in which the students prevented five Negro students from entering the Whitman County jail.

The judge said he believed the students were misinformed about the superior court trial of the five students who were convicted Feb. 27 of committing assault at the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity on the Washington State university campus.

Judge Bunker referred the students to an article by the late Gen. Dwight Eisenhower in the April edition of the “Readers' Digest.” The article concerned itself with the “perils of extremism,” the judge said.

***

One of the last structures at Penawawa, the 30,000-bushel Stueckle elevator, was burned to the ground Friday night by the original builders. The 30-year-old structure was burned to make way for the Little Goose reservoir which will flood most of the Penawawa bar next year.

Primed with gasoline, the structure ignited with a roar after being touched off by Marcus Stueckle and his father, Ed Stueckle. The flames roared out of the top of the structure and illuminated the former orchard bar for more than two hours during the evening.

25 years ago

Colfax Gazette, April 28, 1994

The county has proposed a new ordinance requiring property owners to remove certain graffiti on their property or have it removed by the county at the owner's expense, but the wording of the ordinance could conflict with constitutionally protected free speech.

Recent gang- related activities in the county and gang-oriented graffiti in Pullman and Dusty has prompted the county to take action against gangs before they take root in the county. The proposed ordinance is one measure the county is considering to combat gangs.

County Sheriff Steve Tomson reported when the Spokane Police Department gave its opinion of the police handling of the drive-by shooting in Pullman and the potential for gangs there, one recommendation the department had was passing an anti-graffiti ordinance.

10 years ago

Whitman County Gazette, April 16, 2009

A crash of Qwest internet service April 13 took a toll on Colfax businesses. The Qwest service went out during the noon hour and was down for over six hours. Bib Gravely, Qwest spokesman at Portland said the service line between Spokane and Colfax went down between approximately 12:30 and 6:50 p.m. Monday Gravely said initial reports that a fiber optic line was cut were unfounded, and the company at present is still attempting to determine the cause. He said service was cut to about 300 internet customers. Qwest is one of three providers of high speed internet providers in Colfax.