Past pages 12/20

120 Years Ago

"Music at the Switch": The other day, a man from the East, out looking for land in Mason Valley, stopped at Pizen Switch, and while he was sitting by the stove of a saloon reading, some cowboys passed that way. The leader saw the stranger, and riding in on his horse, threw his lasso over the stove and started out of the saloon and up the street. The lasso was tied to the horn of the saddle, and the horse dragged the stove up the street. Suddenly, the stranger appeared at the door of the saloon, "Bring back that stove, you ____," was the call of the stranger." "Can't do it, my horse is down." "Then get another horse, pretty d___ quick." The crestfallen man borrowed a horse and dragged back the stove. The stranger made him put it up the best he could, and then politely requested him to pay the saloonkeeper $20 damages. "When I'm reading by a warm stove, I don't like to be disturbed. Now travel."

100 Years Ago

Unless a stay of execution is granted to Buckaroo Jack, the Indian convicted of murdering his wife's lover, he will pay for the crime with his life at the State Prison. Jack was an industrious farmer living near Winnemucca with his wife, whom he discovered was untrue to him. After listening to the taunts of other members of his tribe and being called a coward for allowing another man to wreck his home, his savage hatred became aroused, and finding his wife in a compromising position with the man in question, killed him.

70 Years Ago

Baptist Borda, retired hotel proprietor and sheep raiser has passed away. Mr. Borda was born in France, May 19, 1896. He came to the United States in 1914, and later engaged in the hotel business in Gardnerville.

20 Years Ago

Nevada singled out for nuke dump site: A House-Senate conference committee decided to rework the nation's nuclear waste program and made Nevada the first and only choice for a high- level nuclear waste dump. None of the four Nevada members of Congress, who oppose locating the dump in their state, was a member of the negotiating panel.

10 Years Ago

A Carson man, Charlie Giovacchini, with failing hearing and eyesight and living on Social Security is facing possible eviction because of his dog and helper, Reno. Manager of the HUD Foothill Garden apartments says he's willing to work with Giovacchini as long as he gets proof that the Weimaraner-terrier mix dog does what he said it will do.

• Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column from 1947 until his death in 2006.