Photo provided Tallac pier is advertised in this undated historical photo.
Saturday
155 Years Ago
The Mint lot: The greater part of the iron fence is up with the northern side remaining. When the sidewalks are all in shape, and the lot itself is filled in with grass, flowers, trees and shrubbery, it will be very comely to look upon.
140 Years Ago
In brief: St. Peter’s Church – Subject for the New Year’s service at the Episcopal Church will be the “Canker Worms of Time.”
On New Year’s Day, the Honorable William Woodburn received a caller at his house in the shape of a 10-pound boy. The little fellow was so well liked that they have concluded to keep him right along.
130 Years Ago
Unfortunate affair: Jailor Pine went to Frank Cravan’s cell in the county jail to take him before the board of insanity commissioners. He found him lying on the floor insensible. He picked him up and found that he had butted his head against the wall and fractured his skull. Drs. Guien and Lee examined the poor man and found a fracture of the skull so pronounced as to require trepanning. The patient will be allowed to rest a few days to see how the case develops.
70 Years Ago
Cloud seeding: Gov. Charles Russell signed a contract for Nevada’s first cloud seeding program. The agreement is between the Nevada State Cloud Seeding Committee and the Water Resources Development Corp. of Denver. The initial program will cost $10,000 and includes the counties of Elko, Humboldt, Lander, Eureka, Pershing and White Pine.
60 Years Ago
Radioactive blast: Jackass Flats, Nev. — Scientists hope to demonstrate to an uneasy public that it can live with radioactive rockets overhead. A fireball bright as the sun and up to 100 feet in diameter is expected to light the desert when they destroy a 12-foot-long engine that turns out almost as much power as Hoover Dam.
Sunday
155 Years Ago
New Year’s Day: It was as beautiful as sunshine, and a bracing air could make it. The usual hearty greetings were exchanged; and the good old custom of calling and guzzling and gormandizing was duly observed. Our people gave themselves up to amusements; and quite a large party went to Wallace’s Rink and spent the afternoon on skates.
140 Years Ago
Pant’s Pilgrimage (Horrors of his trip to Bodie) – Part I. On leaving Carson the outfit consisted of mining tools, bedding, and grub all piled into a “sooner” wagon. Traveling with me was Sherdie Mayfield and Albert, the flying Dutchman. First night — we camped and Albert, being the cook, picked up a hot skillet, and dropped it on a pot of boiling coffee into his unlaced shoes. After he had both feet rolled up in gunnysacks and oil, supper commenced.
We left Carson about noon. I rode my “Black Pant.” In front of the Ormsby we stopped and bid all friends goodbye. We started southward to Arizona and ended at Bodie. Albert burnt his hands at every meal, and Sherdie burnt the beans. My horse ran away, and it was four days after I caught him, he nearly kicked me to death. (continued)
130 Years Ago
Social gossip: A young lady was heard to say she could sit with her feet in a tub of ice water and jingle sleigh bells and not be as half as cold as if she were out sleigh riding.
70 Years Ago
No giggling: Telephone company officials warned a woman to stop laughing over the phone. Her giggling breaks connections on lines that can carry 48 conversations at the same time. The woman’s high-pitched giggle is almost identical with the automatic dial cut-off tone. (Denmark)
60 Years Ago
Photo caption: New heavyweight champ is Cassius (The Mouth) Clay who won a lackluster Miami Beach bout from defender Sonny Liston on a TKO when the latter failed to answer the bell for the seventh round. Here Liston ducks a right by Clay. A hernia suffered by Clay canceled the rematch. (Cassius Clay aka Muhammad Ali)
Monday
155 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Livery Stable, change of proprietor, J.M. Benton, having purchased the Stone Stable formerly occupied by Henry M. Sherwood, on Carson Street, opposite Wells Fargo & Company’s Express Office, will keep constantly on hand a good supply of horses, buggies, carriages, and the like, and will be on constant attendance, to supply the public, terms reasonable, Carson, Nev.”
140 Years Ago
Pant, Part II: My first impression of Bodie was anything but flattering. I was covered with blood and dust. Bodie’s busy population was pushing and plodding, and its great mines and mills have a glorious future. After being fixed up in liniment and splints, the doctor and myself went into a saloon. As I entered the sidewalk, I met a jubilant man from Bodie who yelled as he grasped my hand, “Whoa, old son, shake; put ‘er here; … this is a bully town, 10 funerals today and a man just fell down the Bulwer shaft for a starter. I started a “hash mill,” but worked too hard, caught cold, got pneumonia and a French cook both at once.
Pant then lit out for green fields and pastures new and a country with more of Treadway’s nutriment and less of undertaker’s amusement.
130 Years Ago
Social gossip: The Phonograph Ball on New Year’s Eve drew a large crowd for novel entertainment. Many heard the Edison’s wonderful machine for the first time.
70 Years Ago
Grasshopper control: A control program for grasshoppers will be carried out by the Agriculture and Interior Departments and the Nevada and Idaho state governments to irradicate 30,000 acres of infested land in the Owyhee Indian reservation and adjacent areas – this according to Alan Bible.
60 Years Ago
Fluoride water: There are 13 communities in Nevada whose drinking water supplies contain reportable traces of fluoride. Nature’s overdose of fluoride may account for Nevada’s reluctance to add this chemical to local water supplies according to W.T. Weathington, state health officer.
Tuesday
155 Years Ago
A Ladies Rights Ball: We have been furnished with particulars regarding a ball which was given on New Year’s Eve at Bowers Mansion in Washoe Valley. It was under the auspices of Mrs. Bowers and her lady friends. It was a very elegant affair and a greater part of the elite of Washoe County were there. The admission fee of $5 was charged to the invited guests and gentlemen. All the administration of the affairs of the ball was in the hands of the ladies. This was a great ball, and as high-toned as it was peculiar.
140 Years Ago
Hank Monk astonished: Charley Parkhurst, a well-known stage driver on the coast and one of the acknowledged crack whips, died near Watsonville. When the remains were being laid out the astounding discovery was made that Parkhurst was a woman. She had been known on the coast for 25 years, and the most astonishing part of the business is that she could have kept the secret so long. Parkhurst used to be with Hank Monk a good deal in the early days and when Hank heard the report, he gasped for breath and drawled out: “Je-hosiphat. I camped out with Parkie once for over a week, and we slept on the same buffalo robe right along. Wonder if Curley Bill’s been playin’ me the same way.”
130 Years Ago
Social gossip: A party of 15 people drove down the prison road in a mysterious manner to catch the Culloughs napping; it was a surprise party. The sleighs drew up in front of the prison and a broad sheet of light from the doors and windows shown out across the glistening snow. Mr. and Mrs. Cullough stood waiting on the steps to receive their guests. A moment of truth flashed upon the sleigh riders — that they were the only ones surprised. This little party are convinced that Mr. McCullough and wife are the pleasantest people in town to visit, but they are also the most difficult to catch napping.
70 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Carson Theater — ‘Sabrina’ with William Holden, Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart. One of the most uproariously funny pictures to ever come out of Hollywood.”
60 Years Ago
Advertisement: “Carson Theater, ‘The Night of the Iguana,’ with Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, Deborah Kerr and Sue Lyon. One man, three women, one night.”
Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.