Past Pages for Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014

140 Years Ago

Temperance meeting: There will be a lecture in the courtroom in the county building by Mr. G. D. Taylor. He has the position of Supreme Commander of the Champions of the Red Cross. There are no Societies of the Red Cross in Nevada, but Mr. Taylor proposes to organize several.

130 Years Ago

Skepticism: The Sacramento Bee reports the following: Sam Davis of the Carson Appeal says a Carson man went down to the lake and captured 128 wild geese frozen in the ice. Coming from any other source, we might have credited it, but from Sam Davis — never. This is an instance of pernicious skepticism ...

120 Years Ago

Queer crowd: Hy downs went to the State Fair in Reno. He stayed too late, and all the busses had left the grounds. When he got ready to go, he looked for a passenger wagon and saw a covered carryall leaving loaded with men. He tried to strike up a conversation and then asked for the conductor. Nobody seemed to hear him. Hy got frustrated and said “What in H—l’s the matter with you? Are ye drunk or crazy?” Two of the men had fallen asleep, one was praying and one was kissing a photograph. Another was counting the buttons on his coat. Hy asked, “Say, driver, who is the conductor on this train and where are you going?” The driver turned to Hy and laughed — “This is the Insane Asylum wagon and these men are all lunatics ...”

70 Years Ago

Advertisement: “Safeway — Rationed foods: apple sauce 13 cents, peas 15 cents, tomatoes 12 cents, pork & beans 14 cents, oleomargarine 18 cents, milk (Cherub) 3 for 28 cents. Non-rationed foods: navel oranges 3 pounds 23 cents, Klamath potatoes 28 cents for 10 pounds ...”

50 Years Ago

Former Gov. Pittman: Vail M. Pittman, former Nevada governor, died at the age of 80. Vail Pittman was elected lieutenant governor in 1942 and became governor in 1946 when Gov. S.P. Carville resigned to be appointed to the U.S. Senate. Pittman was elected to a full term in 1946. He was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1883 and moved with his family to Nevada in the early 1900s.

30 Years Ago

Donations of old newspapers: Sierra Pacific Power Company launched its program to insulate homes of needy customers in Carson City by turning old newspapers into cellulose insulation. This insulation is used in homes of senior citizens and needy customers free of charge.

Sue Ballew is the daughter of Bill Dolan, who wrote this column for the Nevada Appeal from 1947 until his death in 2006.