Wednesday
145 Years Ago
Flume at Empire: The flume erected to carry off the tailings at the Morgan Mill was blown down. This structure was built for the purpose of running off the tailings and was made very high to pass over the bluffs to the northwest and empty its continents into a little valley.
140 Years Ago
Jottings: When the Bodie stage comes in a crowd gathers to watch it disgorge its cargo which included—a miscellaneous assortment of Chinamen, mine owners, travelers and capitalists.
On Thanksgiving Day the archers all over the United States will shoot 96 arrows at 60 yards and send the scores to be published in “Forest and Stream.” The Carson Archery Club will shoot at Treadway’s, if they can find the targets, which during the past month have been neglected by the archers and looked after by the cows.
130 Years Ago
Salt Mountain: The salt mountains located in Lincoln County, Nevada, cover an area of twenty-five miles. The salt is pure and white and clearer than glass. A piece seven or eight inches thick is sometimes clear enough to see through to read a newspaper. The salt has also preserved the camp of a prehistoric man. (Reno Journal)
100 Years Ago
Ouija Boards: If you mingle with the elite of departed, spirits do not toy with the shades who use the Ouija boards as means of communication. Only the riffraff of spiritdom speak during sessions of the great American parlor game. “If you are looking for advice, it is far better to take it from a good living person than a bad dead one. No spirit can tell the future better than an ordinary earth being…” according to Miss Gail Wilson, trustee of the American section of the Theosophical Society. (Chicago)
70 Years Ago
Native of Carson dies: Ernest J. Sweetland, 70, died in San Francisco. Sweetland spent most of his early life in Carson City. He was an inventor by trade and had a number of inventions to his credit. He is survived by his widow, Nellie Reilly Sweetland; three daughters, three sons and three sisters.
20 Years Ago
Photo caption: Antler artist Paul Allen works in his Carson City shop, Tahoe Antler Lighting, with apprentice artist Steve Selvidge and Richard Tucker.
Thursday
145 Years Ago
Born: In Carson City, a son to the wife of George W. Kitzmeyer. We hope this young Kitz will grow up to be as rattlin’ a little man as his daddy. George and the happy mother of that small Dutchman will accept our very hearty congratulations.
140 Years Ago
All sorts, ads: Electric belts—Thaxter has some genuine electric belts for sale, which, in a few weeks transformed a consumptive into a prize fighter.
Wanted—A place in a respectable family to cook or do general housework.
Dr. Fox has a supply of fresh vaccine matter. Scabs furnished to all comers.
130 Years Ago
Local Advertisements: For sale—A house of 6 rooms, orchard and garden in north end of city.
All kinds of hay, straw, wheat, oats, barley and bran for sale at S. C. Anderson’s Hay yard.
100 Years Ago
An early bird: A bird man flew over this city on his way to Reno. It is presumed it was one of the mail planes on the way east.
70 Years Ago
Basement mine: Many visitors continue to visit the state museum, according to Mrs. Florence Krebs, and one of the main spots of interest is the mine in the basement. Professor S. G. Palmer, dean of engineering at the University of Nevada, accompanied by 50 students inspected the $50,000 museum basement project and all were impressed.
20 Years Ago
Thanksgiving Colonial style: Jean Kvam, dressed in Colonial-style clothing played Anne Burges, a woman from 1650 who came to America on the ship, the Manchester. Anne Burges (Jean Kvam) told about what life was like for women and children. Kvam is president of the Carson City School Board and brought Burges’ story to life.
Friday
145 Years Ago
St. Peters Episcopal Church: The ditch which runs along the north side of St. Peter’s church has Nile-like overflowings across the sidewalk and doorway of the Episcopal parsonage. Doctor Butts declared it to be his intention to run a corporation plow along on either side of the depression, east. He turned up earth into the middle of the street to set things to right. There are no “ifs” – whatever may be said of the Butts—about that.
140 Years Ago
All sorts: One of the proprietors of the Ormsby House, Mr. Charles Sharp, has returned from a six week ramble through California and Arizona. He brought back several two-pound tarantulas and nine-inch centipede as souvenirs of his trip.
A skating club has been formed in Virginia (City). Carson also has a glide club.
130 Years Ago
Masquerade: On Thanksgiving night James Wiggins of Empire will give a grand ball and supper at his dancing hall near the brink of the soft flowing Carson. Everybody is invited to be on hand and assist in spoiling the spread of turkey and cranberry sauce, and triple the light fantastic with you and beauty of that port.
100 Years Ago
To bring Elk: A carload of elk will be shipped into Elko county in the spring. Arrangements have been made by the Fish and Game association to take care of the animals. They are to come from Montana’s government reserve. If Elko county makes a success of this work, others will follow.
70 Years Ago
Herding cattle with a motorboat: The George Fettic ranch in Carson Valley found itself in the middle of a flood. Jack Fettic, George’s brother, Roy Ihfe and Albin Hedlund, borrowed Charles Felesina’s 14-foot boat, attached Tommy Pardini’s outboard motor and launched it right off U.S. 395. Fettic said it took about an hour and a half to go a mile and a half because of the swift current. They rounded up the milk cows, fed stranded pigs by boat and performed other chores. Later George Fettic used the boat to commute from his ranch to the highway.
20 Years Ago
Cheney leaves hospital: Dick Cheney, Republican candidate, left the hospital after receiving assurances from doctors that his heart condition wouldn’t impair his ability to serve as vice president.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.
-->Wednesday
145 Years Ago
Flume at Empire: The flume erected to carry off the tailings at the Morgan Mill was blown down. This structure was built for the purpose of running off the tailings and was made very high to pass over the bluffs to the northwest and empty its continents into a little valley.
140 Years Ago
Jottings: When the Bodie stage comes in a crowd gathers to watch it disgorge its cargo which included—a miscellaneous assortment of Chinamen, mine owners, travelers and capitalists.
On Thanksgiving Day the archers all over the United States will shoot 96 arrows at 60 yards and send the scores to be published in “Forest and Stream.” The Carson Archery Club will shoot at Treadway’s, if they can find the targets, which during the past month have been neglected by the archers and looked after by the cows.
130 Years Ago
Salt Mountain: The salt mountains located in Lincoln County, Nevada, cover an area of twenty-five miles. The salt is pure and white and clearer than glass. A piece seven or eight inches thick is sometimes clear enough to see through to read a newspaper. The salt has also preserved the camp of a prehistoric man. (Reno Journal)
100 Years Ago
Ouija Boards: If you mingle with the elite of departed, spirits do not toy with the shades who use the Ouija boards as means of communication. Only the riffraff of spiritdom speak during sessions of the great American parlor game. “If you are looking for advice, it is far better to take it from a good living person than a bad dead one. No spirit can tell the future better than an ordinary earth being…” according to Miss Gail Wilson, trustee of the American section of the Theosophical Society. (Chicago)
70 Years Ago
Native of Carson dies: Ernest J. Sweetland, 70, died in San Francisco. Sweetland spent most of his early life in Carson City. He was an inventor by trade and had a number of inventions to his credit. He is survived by his widow, Nellie Reilly Sweetland; three daughters, three sons and three sisters.
20 Years Ago
Photo caption: Antler artist Paul Allen works in his Carson City shop, Tahoe Antler Lighting, with apprentice artist Steve Selvidge and Richard Tucker.
Thursday
145 Years Ago
Born: In Carson City, a son to the wife of George W. Kitzmeyer. We hope this young Kitz will grow up to be as rattlin’ a little man as his daddy. George and the happy mother of that small Dutchman will accept our very hearty congratulations.
140 Years Ago
All sorts, ads: Electric belts—Thaxter has some genuine electric belts for sale, which, in a few weeks transformed a consumptive into a prize fighter.
Wanted—A place in a respectable family to cook or do general housework.
Dr. Fox has a supply of fresh vaccine matter. Scabs furnished to all comers.
130 Years Ago
Local Advertisements: For sale—A house of 6 rooms, orchard and garden in north end of city.
All kinds of hay, straw, wheat, oats, barley and bran for sale at S. C. Anderson’s Hay yard.
100 Years Ago
An early bird: A bird man flew over this city on his way to Reno. It is presumed it was one of the mail planes on the way east.
70 Years Ago
Basement mine: Many visitors continue to visit the state museum, according to Mrs. Florence Krebs, and one of the main spots of interest is the mine in the basement. Professor S. G. Palmer, dean of engineering at the University of Nevada, accompanied by 50 students inspected the $50,000 museum basement project and all were impressed.
20 Years Ago
Thanksgiving Colonial style: Jean Kvam, dressed in Colonial-style clothing played Anne Burges, a woman from 1650 who came to America on the ship, the Manchester. Anne Burges (Jean Kvam) told about what life was like for women and children. Kvam is president of the Carson City School Board and brought Burges’ story to life.
Friday
145 Years Ago
St. Peters Episcopal Church: The ditch which runs along the north side of St. Peter’s church has Nile-like overflowings across the sidewalk and doorway of the Episcopal parsonage. Doctor Butts declared it to be his intention to run a corporation plow along on either side of the depression, east. He turned up earth into the middle of the street to set things to right. There are no “ifs” – whatever may be said of the Butts—about that.
140 Years Ago
All sorts: One of the proprietors of the Ormsby House, Mr. Charles Sharp, has returned from a six week ramble through California and Arizona. He brought back several two-pound tarantulas and nine-inch centipede as souvenirs of his trip.
A skating club has been formed in Virginia (City). Carson also has a glide club.
130 Years Ago
Masquerade: On Thanksgiving night James Wiggins of Empire will give a grand ball and supper at his dancing hall near the brink of the soft flowing Carson. Everybody is invited to be on hand and assist in spoiling the spread of turkey and cranberry sauce, and triple the light fantastic with you and beauty of that port.
100 Years Ago
To bring Elk: A carload of elk will be shipped into Elko county in the spring. Arrangements have been made by the Fish and Game association to take care of the animals. They are to come from Montana’s government reserve. If Elko county makes a success of this work, others will follow.
70 Years Ago
Herding cattle with a motorboat: The George Fettic ranch in Carson Valley found itself in the middle of a flood. Jack Fettic, George’s brother, Roy Ihfe and Albin Hedlund, borrowed Charles Felesina’s 14-foot boat, attached Tommy Pardini’s outboard motor and launched it right off U.S. 395. Fettic said it took about an hour and a half to go a mile and a half because of the swift current. They rounded up the milk cows, fed stranded pigs by boat and performed other chores. Later George Fettic used the boat to commute from his ranch to the highway.
20 Years Ago
Cheney leaves hospital: Dick Cheney, Republican candidate, left the hospital after receiving assurances from doctors that his heart condition wouldn’t impair his ability to serve as vice president.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.