Downtown Carson during the Nevada Day Parade in about 1950.
Wednesday
150 Years Ago
Earthquake: A violent shock was felt in the Capitol building. Mr. Purcell, the watchman, compared the sound to the running ore from the railway cars down the chute.
140 Years Ago
Too many boys: Manager Farrell of the Western Union Telegraph office says there are too many noisy boys in front of his office after school. He says that this mob of embryo money and railroad Kings, presidents, U.S. senators, and cabinet officers, will have to find another loafing place, or he shall turn all the lightning concentrated in the tanks of the W.U. Telegraph Company upon them.
120 Years Ago
Cherry Creek: Prospectors are extracting gold ores from $70 to $270 per ton and with the aid of the Glasgow and Western Company’s Star Mill, are deriving the means to pursue systematic development.
100 Years Ago
“40 and 8”: A post of La Societe des 40 Hommet 8 Chevaux, a fun-making branch of the American Legion, is to be organized in Carson City and will be under the leadership of Dr. Circe. The organization is commonly known as “40 and 8” and derives its name from the signs on French boxcars during the war giving the capacity of the cars as “forty men or eight horses.”
70 Years Ago
Hot Springs owner: Richard Waters Sr., owner of the Carson Hot Springs filed for state assembly from Ormsby County. He is a Democrat and has lived in Carson since 1933 where he has held the office as Justice of the Peace to which he was elected in 1941 and is a member of the city board of trustees.
30 Years Ago
Advertisement: The New Cinema 50, All seats $1.00. “Beauty & the Beast,” and “Sleepwalkers."
Thursday
150 Years Ago
The brass howitzer: The brass gun was placed on the plaza, ready for the salute. She looks as bright as a new dollar. The carriage has just been painted and altogether reflects great credit to the bold soldiers.
140 Years Ago
More diphtheria: The family of J.H. McCormack lost a son nine years old from diphtheria. Now they have three other little ones down with the same fearful disease. The case of a six-year-old girl is already given up as hopeless.
120 Years Ago
Smallpox: Two new cases of smallpox have developed in Elko. The two children of Mrs. Eager have been taken ill with the disease.
100 Years Ago
Death Valley Scotty’s, Model Ranch: Walter Scott (Death Valley Scotty) is in Goldfield for his first visit in a long time. Although, he has fourteen of his famous brand of mules, he drove from the ranch in an auto. There will be a big crop of everything in the valley from gold to figs and grapes. It was a hard winter at the ranch and the big horns were driven out of the mountains and took refuge with Scotty and his animals. The ranch just runs automatically — the mules, turkeys, and chickens all just wander off and multiply and grow fat.
One dog has been trained to hunt snakes; the cat follows. If a snake is seen the dog barks, then the cat gets in its work. If the snake is too big or more than a match for the cat, the dog alerts Scotty who gets the snake with a rake.
70 Years Ago
Male dealers: Reno’s Bank Club has hired women dealers. Since 1931, it has long been the citadel of male dealers who have stood behind its tables. The recent sale to William Graham and James McKay has changed the last stronghold.
30 Years Ago
Photo caption: It was up, up and away in a beautiful balloon as these hot air balloon enthusiasts float over Carson City on an early morning expedition. Given the capital city’s rush-hour traffic conditions these days, it looked like a peaceful alternative to ground travel.
Friday
150 Years Ago
Home again: General John Day is home again and has a considerable improvement in the General’s sense of hearing. He is now quite sanguine of an entire cure of his deafness. Welcome home.
140 Years Ago
The Alta disaster: William Bennett and Dennis Callahan went to rescue their comrades in the Alta Mine disaster and were overcome by heat, bad air and had drowned.
The information about the Alta disaster was obtained by a miner named Colwell who is employed in the Union Mine at Virginia (City). He wrapped ice around his head and fearlessly entered the drift where the men were. He found them all alive and regulating the air pipe to receive the greatest benefit possible. He carried with him twenty-five pounds of ice which he gave to the thirsty and weary miners. Colwell fainted away trying to reach the mouth of the shaft and was raised to the top by men on the surface. Then all seven men were taken out of the mine, all in good condition.
120 Years Ago
Copper ore: The people of Mason Valley are figuring on erecting a custom smelter near Yerington. From all reports a smelter would be a great thing for that section, as a great deal of copper ore is mined out.
100 Years Ago
Pioneer picture: All persons who helped him in the making of the picture will witness the first production of “Pioneer Days of the West, 1849-1921.” A general invitation was made to all pioneers who arrived in Carson before 1864 to view the initial showing. The reels were shipped from San Francisco and the wire contained the information--the films are “great.”
70 Years Ago
4-H: Earl Boice and Ernest Johnson (from the Nevada Children’s Home) were guest speakers from Sunny Acres Club and are competing for the annual 4-H trip to Washington.
30 Years Ago
New state: Folks in Lassen County, California, do not want to be a part of Nevada, although they voted overwhelmingly in favor of breaking away from the southern half of the state. Lassen County wanted to break away and make themselves the 51st state.
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.
