130 YEARS AGO
Rural sport: Three gentlemen from the Mint went out on an equestrian excursion to Marlette Lake. Midway between this city and the Lake, one of the party saw a grouse in a tree. He dismounted from his horse and blazed away at the bird with his parlor gun, missing ... then turned around to see his steed galloping off as if chased by a thousand demons. He borrowed a horse from his friend and pursued the runaway for six or seven miles. He scrambled down a declivity so steep to reach his horse that he had to get down on his hands and knees, and eventually managed to get his nag on level ground. Meanwhile, the borrowed horse had loosened itself from the frail bush and also taken French leave.
110 YEARS AGO
Fighting the bats: Jasen Burlingame has been waging war on the bats in the Capitol Building who live in the space under the roof and eaves on the east side. They multiplied so rapidly that there must have been a million of them. Burlingame procured several gallons of high proof ammonia and sprayed the liquid under the roof. At twilight no more bats were flying out of the cornices.
70 YEARS AGO
The federal housing administration at Washington outlines a plan for financing construction of a home at a cost of not more than $2,000, with a down payment of five percent and monthly payments of $17.
20 YEARS AGO
In Carson City four high school scholars have been named as National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists and represent the top three percent of those taking the tests. They are: Jesse Arthur, Joshua Lynn, Andrea Miller and Kevin White.
10 YEARS AGO
A proposal has been made to extend the existing railroad track at Gold Hill for a full run to Mound House ... made to the Tricounty Railway Commission.
• Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.