150 Years Ago
Big mule team. “Editor Carson Appeal — This morning, Mr. McIntosh, with his fine outfit of twelve mules ... took the Bigler grade at Glenbrook Hotel, with 23,500 pounds freight. This is, perhaps, the largest load ever hauled over the Sierra Nevada range ... Our Bigler road was never in finer condition ... it is solid, perfectly dry and free of dust, thanks to the good-looking and some-what lengthy Superintendent Yerington, and the very polite and indefatigable Captain Haynie, who by their energy, have made this the finest mountain road in the world ...”
130 Years Ago
Opera House. It is not known whether the Opera House will be located opposite the St. Charles or in Keyser & Elrod’s block. Why not give the south end of town a chance and balance things.
110 Years Ago
Plea from the fair sex. Letter to the Appeal ... “There are more than one hundred marriageable ladies in this city and not a dozen marriageable men. Can anything be done to adjust this lamentable condition of affairs. It is a shame that such a beautiful city should continue to be a sort of “Adamless Eden.” Many of the young ladies in this city would look favorably upon the influx of the young male population to the Capitol.” The Appeal invites public discussion on this subject and will do all in its power to smooth out the wrinkles in the situation while it invites the cooperation of every body.
70 Years Ago
Housing shortage. Patrolman Morgan found a man asleep in a telephone booth and the doors were jammed shut. Finally after forcing ammonia gas into the booth, the sleeper woke up. “Are you drunk?” the policeman asked. “No,” replied the man indignantly. “It’s the housing shortage.”
50 Years Ago
Douglas High School. Principal Jerome Etchegoyhen has announced the fifth six-week Honor Roll with an even dozen students attaining perfect scores: Seniors: Kathy Storke; Juniors, Lois Barr, Rockwell Gilbert, Roland Scarselli, Mark Ward, Kathy Yim; Sophomores, Mary Beth Doane, Randy Falcke, Mark Hussmand, Judi Thran; Freshmen, Keneth Dressler, Debbie Kimmerling.
20 Years Ago
Yucca dump. Radiation doses more than four times the maximum allowed could effect Nevada residents living in the vicinity of Yucca Mountain. Local populations could face heightened cancer risks. The Yucca bill’s backers claim that Yucca’s dry desert location would prevent health and safety problems.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.