Past Pages for Saturday, Feb. 15, 2014

140 years ago

A rattlesnake who gets a prowling round in the winter time when all snakedom ought to be sleeping the sleep of torpidity deserves just such a fate as the Borax Miner describes, as follows: “On the 12th of January, as Mr. Phillipio Marlin was going along the road between Columbus and his mine, accompanied by his little dog, he noticed the animal at a distance from him very much excited shaking something in a terrible manner. Upon coming up, he found the dog had killed a rattlesnake about 18-inches long upon which there were three rattles.”

130 years ago

The dancing question. A number of communications on the dancing question are not printed because of their length, illegibility and repetition. There is no sense in filling the paper up with a subject already exhausted. Meanwhile, the Appeal continues to print ball programs, invitations and tickets at the old rates.

100 years ago

Reno, the Monte Carlo of America, is what a number of Nevada millionaires are planning to make of the divorce colony by a revival of the racing game next year. Already horses are being bred in Nevada for the opening of a track near Reno. Men like George Wingfiled and H.J. (Brad) Kinkaid are putting money into stock farms. Legalization is expected at the next Legislative session.

70 years ago

An intensive drive has been launched by the Nevada state police to ensure proper registration of all motor vehicles in Nevada. “This is the first time that the newly formed state police have been available in the early part of the year for motor vehicle registration enforcement,” Malcolm McEachin, ex-officio motor vehicle commissioner, declared.

50 years ago

Top state officials are considering bringing suit aimed at returning about 35,000 square miles of federal land to state ownership. Gov. Grant Sawyer said the suit would contend that the state, at the time of statehood, was cheated out of its rightful share of federal lands due to it being under the treaty of Guadalupe-Hildago.

30 years ago

Republicans from throughout Northern Nevada packed the Nugget Convention Center Saturday for what participants called the biggest Lincoln Day gathering ever with the event’s star guest, U.S. Sen. Paul Laxalt and personal friend to President Ronald Reagan. “I’ve never seen such a big Lincoln Day gathering in my home town,” Laxalt said.

Trent Dolan is the son of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.