Past Pages Sept. 3

130 YEARS AGO

President Hayes pays a short call: It was 2 o'clock when the locomotive handsomely decorated, puffing an immense amount of smoke, drove in sight and rounded the curve. Michael O'Hare, the Carson artilleryman, sprang to his gun and turned loose the opening crash of welcome ... men fired with great rapidity a Presidential salute of 21 guns. The salute filled Treadway's ranch with smoke, shook the fruit off his trees and broke the glass in windows for blocks around.

Gillis' bubble bursts, Part IV: Gillis secured his papers and decided to go back and take another look while a couple of Californians wanting to buy interest accompanied him. He looked at the spot where he had bored into the moist slope but there was no indication of a spring. After 10 minutes with pickaxes and spades, their work came upon an empty whiskey barrel and found the place where Gillis had tapped the rotten end of the whiskey barrel ... sending it rolling down the bank. "Better 'n we expected; whiskey already hooped up in barrels." Gillis did not go back to Placerville to meet the jeers of the inhabitants, but ... (continued on Saturday)

120 YEARS AGO

All sorts: Keogh can lick John L. Sullivan in five minutes ... if the fight is held in Virginia City.

The boys fish by torch light in the sloughs around Empire and manage to make good catfish hauls.

70 YEARS AGO

Seen, Thought, or Heard, by E.T.C.: It is suggested that the 1940 Admission Day celebration be built up around "preparedness" ... based on Americanism and loyalty ... all tying in nicely with the state's motto of "All for Our Country."

50 YEARS AGO

Misfits: Marilyn Monroe was hospitalized suffering from "acute exhaustion." Filming on the "Misfits" was suspended on location in Reno and Dayton. Co-star is Clark Gable and Director John Huston.

20 YEARS AGO

Kiyoshi Nishikawa nailed 22 percent of the votes in the clerk-recorder race making the second cut and the second round.

10 YEARS AGO

25,000 revelers enjoyed the climax of the 15th annual Burning Man celebration. Participants from 40 states and 20 countries cheered loudly and danced after the giant bonfire was set.

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