Wednesday
150 Years Ago
A conductor killed: H. Lancaster, conductor of the freight train No. 5 from Rocklin, was killed between the Summit and Truckee. He fell between the cars and was dragged nearly a quarter of a mile. Deceased leaves a wife and four children.
140 Years Ago
Nevada sugar cane: The Piutes [sic] say that a species of cane, resembling corn, grows along the Humboldt river where it grew luxuriantly. The cane and the sugar are known among the Piutes as pehavvee [sic]. The Indians crushed the stalks between stones and by twisting it like a rope squeezed out the juice which they caught in baskets. The business has been abandoned since the settlement of the country by Whites. (Silver State)
130 Years Ago
A rooster barometer: John Polkinghorn of Auburn has a remarkable rooster, a feathered barometer. It indicates the approach of rain and snow and its depth by coloring changes in its feathers, and snow is measured by how high it roosts. A large number of town people, including amateur scientists, went to view the phenomenon. (Grass Valley Tidings)
100 Years Ago
Anita Baldwin to erect hotel at Lake: The finest summer hotel on Lake Tahoe will be built by Anita Baldwin who has set aside $3,000,000 for the proposed hotel. Building will start in the spring and finished in 1921. All of this goes to show the necessity of maintaining and improving the Kings Canyon road.
50 Years Ago
Summons: Motorcycle stuntman Robert C. Knievel is served with a summons to appear in court concerning a suit filed by the city for recovery of $1200. The action alleges that Knievel who was injured at the T-Car Speedway has failed to repay bills from Washoe Medical Center.
20 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Wallace Theaters, Northgate Movies 10. $4.50 bargain matinees daily before 6 p.m., “Hanging Up,” “Whole 9 Yards,” “Pitch Black,” “The Tigger Movie,” “Snow Day,” “Scream 3,” and “American Beauty.”
Thursday
150 Years Ago
Burglary at Empire: The residence of Mr. John Richey was entered through the woodhouse by prying open the kitchen door. The burglar fired a pistol shot through the door of the bedroom where Mr. Richey, his wife and baby escaped. The ball passed through the door and some blankets stopping near the child’s head. No one was injured. The only articles missing were a pair of boots.
140 Years Ago
Bicycle: To ride a bicycle successfully, a young man should see that his hair is carefully parted in the middle, having no more on one side than on the other in the way of balance.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: Lyman Frysbighe [sic} has two skeletons behind the bar which are supposed to be the remains of an ancient race of cock-eyed Lilliputians.
A woman in Burlington, Iowa, laughed so hard that her mouth remained open and the doctor had to break the jaw bone to shut it.
100 Years Ago
Walker Lake sea serpent: Dick Cowl says there is a sea serpent in Walker lake, although he has not seen it for some years. Best time to see it is early morning where it moves along the west shore and where it is said the lake is bottomless. It was described as having “a head like a big dog and body 50 feet long.” (Mason Valley News). Today the sea serpent is called “Cecil.”
50 Years Ago
Carson Indian Colony, 20 New Homes: Construction of 20 self-help, 3-bedroom houses on quarter acre lots at the Carson Indian Colony are scheduled to begin building, according to Edward Simolke, community developer for the Carson Indian colonies. Twenty low-income families will be involved in all phases of construction.
20 Years Ago
Car thieves: A Toyota Camry or Honda Accord are the two most likely targets of car thieves. Those two models are on the most-stolen vehicle list for 1999. The only other vehicle to break into the top 10 was the 1997 Ford F-150 pickup.
Friday
150 Years Ago
Chinaman winds up clock: A Chinaman was suitably fined by Judge Livingston’s Court for malicious mischief in breaking a clock. The Celestial is employed in a boarding house in the city. In the house there are some girls who are full of deviltry and turn the clock back and forward to fool the Chinaman into working too many hours. Often when he arrived he found that the clock was playing tricks on him. He got a rock and broke the lying time piece, working himself into a frenzy rage. When brought into Court, he said “yes” he did break the clock.
140 Years Ago
Weatherwise cat-fish: The catfish in Clescovich’s restaurant are regular barometers. They live in a large glass globe and before a storm they lie low at the bottom of the globe. If the weather is good, they disport near the top of the water. The circumstance endorses the opinion held by the Appeal that the cat-fish has more sense than any member of the finny tribe. Dan DeQuile and Charley Leggate, famous Comstock meteorologist, get all they know about weather from the cat-fish, and palm it off on the public as original wisdom.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: Young Abraham Lincoln, grandson of ex-President Lincoln, died yesterday.
A Chinaman who was convicted of selling liquor to Indians was sentenced to one year in the State Prison.
100 Years Ago
Leisure Hour: Speaker Dr. Cavell (a dentist) read a paper on “Dentistry.” He brought out the statement that people did not exercise their teeth enough, and the nation will, in the course of time, become toothless.
50 Years Ago
Moon dust returned: A vial of moon dust that was stolen has been recovered undamaged in a mailbox after a call from an anonymous person. The vial contained 2.3 grams of dust about half the weight of a nickel and vanished while on display with a chip of moon rock at a department store charity benefit.
20 Years Ago
Carson 4-H organizational meeting: The Carson 4-H “Bouncing Bunnies” Club will hold an organizational meeting at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for youth who raise rabbits or are interested in raising rabbits.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.
-->Wednesday
150 Years Ago
A conductor killed: H. Lancaster, conductor of the freight train No. 5 from Rocklin, was killed between the Summit and Truckee. He fell between the cars and was dragged nearly a quarter of a mile. Deceased leaves a wife and four children.
140 Years Ago
Nevada sugar cane: The Piutes [sic] say that a species of cane, resembling corn, grows along the Humboldt river where it grew luxuriantly. The cane and the sugar are known among the Piutes as pehavvee [sic]. The Indians crushed the stalks between stones and by twisting it like a rope squeezed out the juice which they caught in baskets. The business has been abandoned since the settlement of the country by Whites. (Silver State)
130 Years Ago
A rooster barometer: John Polkinghorn of Auburn has a remarkable rooster, a feathered barometer. It indicates the approach of rain and snow and its depth by coloring changes in its feathers, and snow is measured by how high it roosts. A large number of town people, including amateur scientists, went to view the phenomenon. (Grass Valley Tidings)
100 Years Ago
Anita Baldwin to erect hotel at Lake: The finest summer hotel on Lake Tahoe will be built by Anita Baldwin who has set aside $3,000,000 for the proposed hotel. Building will start in the spring and finished in 1921. All of this goes to show the necessity of maintaining and improving the Kings Canyon road.
50 Years Ago
Summons: Motorcycle stuntman Robert C. Knievel is served with a summons to appear in court concerning a suit filed by the city for recovery of $1200. The action alleges that Knievel who was injured at the T-Car Speedway has failed to repay bills from Washoe Medical Center.
20 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Wallace Theaters, Northgate Movies 10. $4.50 bargain matinees daily before 6 p.m., “Hanging Up,” “Whole 9 Yards,” “Pitch Black,” “The Tigger Movie,” “Snow Day,” “Scream 3,” and “American Beauty.”
Thursday
150 Years Ago
Burglary at Empire: The residence of Mr. John Richey was entered through the woodhouse by prying open the kitchen door. The burglar fired a pistol shot through the door of the bedroom where Mr. Richey, his wife and baby escaped. The ball passed through the door and some blankets stopping near the child’s head. No one was injured. The only articles missing were a pair of boots.
140 Years Ago
Bicycle: To ride a bicycle successfully, a young man should see that his hair is carefully parted in the middle, having no more on one side than on the other in the way of balance.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: Lyman Frysbighe [sic} has two skeletons behind the bar which are supposed to be the remains of an ancient race of cock-eyed Lilliputians.
A woman in Burlington, Iowa, laughed so hard that her mouth remained open and the doctor had to break the jaw bone to shut it.
100 Years Ago
Walker Lake sea serpent: Dick Cowl says there is a sea serpent in Walker lake, although he has not seen it for some years. Best time to see it is early morning where it moves along the west shore and where it is said the lake is bottomless. It was described as having “a head like a big dog and body 50 feet long.” (Mason Valley News). Today the sea serpent is called “Cecil.”
50 Years Ago
Carson Indian Colony, 20 New Homes: Construction of 20 self-help, 3-bedroom houses on quarter acre lots at the Carson Indian Colony are scheduled to begin building, according to Edward Simolke, community developer for the Carson Indian colonies. Twenty low-income families will be involved in all phases of construction.
20 Years Ago
Car thieves: A Toyota Camry or Honda Accord are the two most likely targets of car thieves. Those two models are on the most-stolen vehicle list for 1999. The only other vehicle to break into the top 10 was the 1997 Ford F-150 pickup.
Friday
150 Years Ago
Chinaman winds up clock: A Chinaman was suitably fined by Judge Livingston’s Court for malicious mischief in breaking a clock. The Celestial is employed in a boarding house in the city. In the house there are some girls who are full of deviltry and turn the clock back and forward to fool the Chinaman into working too many hours. Often when he arrived he found that the clock was playing tricks on him. He got a rock and broke the lying time piece, working himself into a frenzy rage. When brought into Court, he said “yes” he did break the clock.
140 Years Ago
Weatherwise cat-fish: The catfish in Clescovich’s restaurant are regular barometers. They live in a large glass globe and before a storm they lie low at the bottom of the globe. If the weather is good, they disport near the top of the water. The circumstance endorses the opinion held by the Appeal that the cat-fish has more sense than any member of the finny tribe. Dan DeQuile and Charley Leggate, famous Comstock meteorologist, get all they know about weather from the cat-fish, and palm it off on the public as original wisdom.
130 Years Ago
All sorts: Young Abraham Lincoln, grandson of ex-President Lincoln, died yesterday.
A Chinaman who was convicted of selling liquor to Indians was sentenced to one year in the State Prison.
100 Years Ago
Leisure Hour: Speaker Dr. Cavell (a dentist) read a paper on “Dentistry.” He brought out the statement that people did not exercise their teeth enough, and the nation will, in the course of time, become toothless.
50 Years Ago
Moon dust returned: A vial of moon dust that was stolen has been recovered undamaged in a mailbox after a call from an anonymous person. The vial contained 2.3 grams of dust about half the weight of a nickel and vanished while on display with a chip of moon rock at a department store charity benefit.
20 Years Ago
Carson 4-H organizational meeting: The Carson 4-H “Bouncing Bunnies” Club will hold an organizational meeting at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Office. The club is for youth who raise rabbits or are interested in raising rabbits.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.